Lessons To Be Learned
by smartcat
Summary: You would think growing up would have an effect on a certain Blonde and Raven haired Uchiha. Think again. Those two may have PhDs but apparently, it proves nothing. Genius Professors, Moronic People. SasuNaru back in original form
1. Mortal Men

**Disclaimer: Naruto=Not Mine and all chapters are beta'd by me so please excuse any technical errors you may see. No matter how many times I look over it, some things just slip by you *sad face***

**Warning: Future chapters ****may**** contain the following: Adult themes and content -Descriptive sex scenes, blood, rape, swearing and vulgarity. Also, ****moments of NaruSaku****.**

**Genres: Comedy, Romance, Adventure, Drama, Angst, Suspense...and a shit lot more but I don't feel like writing it all out.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Mortal Men

"So in other words, you think the physician was in the right to steal the king's daughter away?" Naruto crossed his arms and looked pointedly at his student.

Konohamaru grinned and slunk back in his chair with a nod.

"Alright," Naruto smiled and walked towards the board, "Give me three reasons."

The dark haired boy grumbled, "C'mon, Professor! We have five minutes before the class ends, do I have to? Can't we finish this discussion like, next class?"

Naruto's chalk squeaked against the board causing half the English Literature class to wince.

"Fine," the blonde professor grumbled in defeat, "Just remember, your research paper's on the Physician's Tale are due on my desk in two weeks!"

The class nodded in understanding before gathering their things and heading out towards the freedom of the hall. Three students stayed behind, waiting for Naruto to gather his things.

"Hey, Naruto," Konohamaru asked, "Are you going to stop by at grandpa's tonight?"

The blonde haired professor shook his head, "I wish I could," he sighed, "But I've got fifty papers to grade from my other Literature class and an exam to write for my graduate class."

Then looking at his stepbrother, Naruto grinned. "But what I _can_ do is get you some free ramen from the staff lounge? You three in?"

Moegi and Udon nodded enthusiastically, knowing that the staff lounge had some of the choicest food in the whole University. The campus-dining hall wasn't much of a step up from cafeteria food at their previous high school, albeit it was a bit better.

Naruto chuckled as he watched the three file out of the room, then stuffing his class notes into his orange backpack, he proceeded on leaving the lecture hall with three sophomore college students tagging behind. The group walked out of the Health and Science building and made their way to the administrative office with Naruto swiping his identification badge thus getting them access within. He ushered the three of them inside before the security guard noticed any smuggling of unauthorized personnel and then stepped inside himself, making sure the door closed behind him.

"-I swear if I have one more phone go off in my class, I'm going to kick the little shits out!" Kiba growled as he wolfed down two meatballs. The brown haired Biology professor slurped up his sauce-covered noodles and chewed them with his mouth open.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Sakura handed the mutt a napkin, "Please, for my sake, Kiba…wipe your mouth."

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto plopped down in a chair around the circular table, letting the three lucky students have free reign of the staff lounge, "How was class?"

The rosette sighed, "Terrible. Half the class wasn't listening to a word I said. The only time anyone would _really_ pay attention was when I switched slides on the PowerPoint. Then, they'd just look over their packet, see if there were any blanks to fill _and_ if there weren't _they'd _go back off staring into space!"

"Slides are boring," Konohamaru said disdainfully as he crossed his arms, "You can't expect to make people listen to you talk at slides for two hours."

"Brat," Sakura glared, "Who asked for _your_ opinion? I can't teach anatomy any other way! Slides are a necessity!"

Moegi and Udon inched closer to their favorite blonde professor, knowing how Sakura could get in her moods.

"Chill out, Sakura," Kiba said. A piece of chewed noodle falling out of his wide-open mouth, "The kid has a valid point."

Without a single moment's hesitation, Sakura bashed Kiba's head straight into his plate of noodles. The poor Biology professor looked up, two meatball stains over his eyes, "Should have seen that one coming," he grumbled. However, not letting this spoil his lunch, he scooped up a couple of noodles with his hands and wiped the sauce from his eyes; then popped the mess into his mouth, earning himself a look of disgust from Moegi and Udon.

"What?" He said after noticing their perturbed glances.

"That's disgusting professor," Moegi mumbled.

Shrugging, Kiba forked a meatball, "No one told you to watch."

Suddenly the door to the staff lounge opened and in walked Sai, a paintbrush artfully tucked behind his ear, "Hey Dickless, Ugly, Ass face."

"Fuck you," three voices growled in unison.

Sai pointedly looked at Naruto and with an eerie smile answered, "Please do."

Flushing angrily, Naruto chucked Sakura's apple, which was mindlessly lying on the table, at the grinning freak. The rosette didn't even blink as her fruit hit the sleazy art instructor in the base of the neck.

"Sai, please stop harassing the other professors at the university," Neji called as he gracefully walked out of the salad bar and took an unoccupied seat next to the blonde professor, "And Naruto, how many times have I told you that students aren't allowed in the staff lounge?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders, not really reading too much into what the other was saying, "Probably over a hundred."

"Then why, might I inquire, are the three of them doing in here?"

"Ramen!" Konohamaru answered from a few feet away as he stuck his thumb out and grinned foolishly.

The Hyuga shook his head, "Make it quick then. Sasuke's break starts in ten minutes. If he sees these three, he won't hesitate on reporting them."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I know. I've made it a necessity to learn his schedule by heart so I could avoid that frigid bastard like the plague."

"What frigid bastard?"

Naruto froze; then very slowly, turned his head to the right.

In the doorway stood Sasuke Uchiha, arms crossed over his chest and a displeased look marring his features.

"W-what are you doing here?" Naruto sputtered, unwarranted anger bubbling to the surface, "You're still supposed to be teaching!"

"What are _they_ doing here?" Sasuke spoke icily as he looked pointedly at the three sophomore students.

The sound of the Calculus professor's voice had Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon rushing into the food bar, grabbing their free ramen and running out of the lounge before Naruto could stammer out an excuse.

"Dobe," the Uchiha grit out as he leisurely walked to the juice bar and grabbed himself an apple juice before taking a seat across from the English professor.

Before another word could be said between the two, Kiba pulled out his cell phone and sent a mass text to all his fellow co-workers.

_Quick!_

_Staff lounge!_

_Sasuke and Naruto in same room!_

Sakura scooted closer to Kiba, trying to get as far away from the soul-crushing aura surrounding the two Konoha professors. Kiba, wincing, took a sip of his coke and moved Sakura's head out of his viewing range. Bothersome woman had such a large head.

He wanted to see all.

Meanwhile Sai quietly took a seat beside Neji, trying not to make any sudden movements. If none of them interfered, things were bound to get…physical. He leered, oh how he loved those two idiots.

All at once, three people ran into the staff lounge.

"Good," Ino let out a breath, "It didn't start yet," she chucked her History textbook on the floor and took a seat on the sofa. Shikamaru was right behind her, both eyes wide open.

He wasn't going to miss anything this epic.

Gaara however, stayed by the doorway. Green eyes taking in anything and everything within the room that could possibly serve as a hazard.

Kiba's noodles, now that would have to be moved immediately along with Sasuke's bottle of juice –and Sakura's handbag for that matter. Eyes narrowed when he spotted single strands of ramen lying dangerously on the tiled floor.

The ebony door hit against the wall forcefully as Choji ran into the staff room, bumping Gaara ever so slightly with his pudgy arm. Behind him were Hinata and Shino. The Entomologist fixed his tinted glasses and took up residence right next to Gaara.

"I'm going to have to report them," Sasuke stated, eyebrows angled downwards in an annoyed manner, "I've let it off for far too long."

"I let them in," Naruto grit his teeth as his hands already fisted by his sides, "They weren't breaking any rules if I let them in myself!"

"Hn,"

"What, bastard?" The blonde scoffed, "Can't find the right words to express yourself with?"

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes further, "Quite the contrary. I don't think you deserve to hear anything worth saying."

In unison, everyone took a baited breath.

Sakura leaned farther away from the two as the animosity increased tenth fold.

"Oh really?" Naruto glared, "You think words are too good for me?"

"Hn."

"Bastard!" Naruto stood angrily, toppling over his chair in the process. The Uchiha stood as well, pupils dilating by the second.

Kiba absentmindedly stuck his tongue out as he angled the phone just right so he could get great footage when the two threw themselves at one another. He chuckled to himself, wondering if he should put this up on youtube once it's over.

Then again, maybe not.

He didn't want the idiots losing their jobs over something as stupid as this.

At that precise moment, Rock Lee darted into the staff room, his bushy eyebrows rising into his hairline as he spotted the aforementioned duo. Turning his head towards Gaara he mouthed, 'did I miss anything?' The red haired English professor shook his head.

Then sighing in relief, the usually enthusiastic speech professor silently grabbed a seat by the juice bar.

"You are a selfish, arrogant, highly hypocritical, good for nothing son of a bitch!" Naruto spat, his anger straining against the fraying leash his conscious had on it.

"You are an idiotic dumb ass who is annoying as hell! Not to mention a nosy blonde loud mouth with no talent!" Sasuke fired.

"Say that again you prick!" Naruto shouted causing the vein on his forehead to throb dangerously.

"You are an idiotic dumb ass-"

"THAT'S IT!"

Throwing himself over the round table, Naruto attacked the Uchiha in a fit of rage.

Kiba hit the record button.

:::

Kakashi tried to keep both eyes on the speaker, but it was proving to be a very hard thing to do. The man's voice was so dull and monotone that half the occupants in the room were battling off the sleep. Blinking sluggishly he watched as the speaker pointed to a diagram on the brightly displayed PowerPoint.

Yes, another plummet in the Graduate department.

Was it his fault?

No.

So, why the hell was he here?

Tsunade and her sake had done it again.

The phone in his pocket began to vibrate causing the silver haired man to sigh. Then reaching into his pants he pulled the portable device out, flipping it open.

Once he had opened the message from Kiba, Kakashi's eyebrows rose indefinitely into his hairline. All he could do was stare at the digital display.

Naruto and Sasuke were rolling on the floor of the staff lounge beating the crap out of each other. He chuckled to himself as Uzumaki was flipped on his back by the Uchiha who then proceeded to straddle the younger man's waist. Naruto's fist came out of nowhere colliding with the raven's smooth skinned jaw. The Sasuke's head snapped to the side thus letting the blonde regain his footing. With what Kakashi could only presume was a yell calling Sasuke a choice couple of words, Naruto jumped on the raven's back and pushed him into the salad bar. Sasuke's face landed in the assortment of diced lettuce. Fueled further by the anger of letting the blonde best him, even for a short lived period, Sasuke bucked his hips causing Naruto's head to hit the metal bar over the lettuce, thus resulting in the blonde loosening his hold. The Uchiha took this opportunity to grab Naruto's left leg and hurl him head first into the large steaming bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.

Kakashi saw Sakura turn to face the camera and wave. She made a peace sign with her fingers (which he thought was hilarious) and smiled. With his ebony mask pressing firmly against the lower portion of his face, the chuckle that erupted from his mouth was somewhat muffled. Two people turned to look at him, but Kakashi took no notice. His time was being better spent watching the two Math and English professor fight it out, battle royale style.

For two genius men, they were sure stupid when it came to matters concerning themselves. Kakashi sighed as a memory played out in his mind.

'_Welcome to Konoha University,' Jiraiya said, 'My name is Jiraiya Sanin and I am head of the English Department. To my left is Kakashi Hatake, head of Math and Physics and to my right is Orochimaru Sainin, no we're not related the last name is spelled differently. He is head of the Chemistry Department.' A few hands dropped. 'We're here to help you get familiar with the campus and answer any questions you might have concerning your teaching career here at Konoha University.'_

_Everyone in the room nodded. Not everyone was a first year teacher, however the Dean of the University had made it mandatory for every professor to attend these meetings and get acquainted/reacquainted with the teachers. Kakashi leaned against the back of his chair while Orochimaru sat with his back straight and eyes hungrily looking over the crowd._

'_Now, before we start,' Jiraiya continued, 'I would like to introduce two very special people who will be joining us this year. Please welcome Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki!'_

_Everyone clapped politely as they watched the two mentioned professors make their way to the front._

_Kakashi's eyes widened as he saw his former high school students stand next to Jiraiya. He rubbed his eyes just to make sure this wasn't some trick of the light. Nope, there they were, Sasuke, Naruto and the crackling soul-stealing aura that followed the two wherever they went. The silver haired man slumped farther into his chair._

_This was going to be one heck of a get together._

_He looked into the crowd and just as he had assumed, there sat Sakura and Ino in the front along with a few other familiar faces. Kakashi recognized Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji instantaneously._

'_Sasuke Uchiha graduated from Sunna University with a Ph D in Mathematics and it is our great pleasure to welcome him to our humble university. Naruto Uzumaki, graduate of Hokage University has a Ph D in English and has been published in many books and journals. It is an honor to have these fine men come here and share their knowledge with our students. In honor of their wondrous achievements I would like the two of you,' he looked at Sasuke and Naruto, 'To start off the greeting ceremony. You two shall be paired up, by the end of the hour we will gather in a circle and hear what everyone has to say about the person they have been paired with.'_

_Kakashi had to remind himself to breathe. How many years had it been since his senior class had graduated…five, six years? How the hell did those two become Ph Ds so fast?_

_Never mind, he didn't want to know. His black eyes followed the two men as they walked off the stage. Were they…no. They were grownups now. They wouldn't._

_**Half hour later**_

'_I'll wipe that smirk off your arrogant face, you fucking bastard!' Naruto yelled, his hands already fisted in the dark locks of hair._

'_I'd like to see you try, moron!' Sasuke fired back as he flipped Naruto over onto his back and straddled the struggling blonde._

_Sai walked over to stand by Kakashi, his paintbrush tucked behind his ear, 'I have a suspicious feeling that the cute one is gay.'_

_Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the sickening grin plastered on the pale professor's face, 'They're taken.'_

'_Oh?' Sai smirked, 'And by whom may I ask?'_

'_Why Sai,' the silver haired man smiled down at the art instructor, 'I thought it was obvious.'_

'_Enlighten me.'_

'_By each other of course.'_

_Sai closed his eyes and smiled up at his superior, 'For how long have they been together?'_

'_I think the better question would be, how long have they not.'_

'_That long eh?' Sai turned his attention to the battling duo, 'They don't seem to like each other very much.'_

'_It would seem that way, wouldn't it?'_

'_Naruto you promised not to fight!' Sakura yelled from a few feet away, her arms flailing in the air above her head._

'_S-sorry S-Sa-Sakura,' Naruto grappled with the raven, 'But he's j-just a f-fucking c-cocky bastard!'_

_Sasuke shoved the blonde and grabbed a fistful of golden hair, 'Why are you fucking following me?'_

'_I'M NOT FOLLOWING YOU! QUIT FOLLOWING ME!'_

_Shikamaru stood by the sideline staring at his two friends fight. _

_How many times has this happened? _

_He'd lost count._

'_Get the fuck off me, you cocksucker!' Naruto snarled as he kicked at Sasuke's arm._

'_You're one to talk, you little dipshit!'_

'_Fuck off!'_

'_Go to hell!'_

'_You first!'_

_Ah, young love._

_It sucked._

:::

After fifteen minutes or so, Choji decided it was time to stop the fight. He had a class to teach in twenty minutes and he had yet to pacify the growling in his stomach.

Food was important damn it, and the two shit heads were throwing it all around!

"Okay, I've had enough."

Grabbing Naruto's leg and Sasuke's arm, Choji flung the two men in opposite directions. Shino and Gaara grabbed Naruto before the hot-blooded blonde could get up and attack the Uchiha while Kankuro and Lee did the same with Sasuke, holding him firmly enough so that the Uchiha couldn't break free and tackle the panting blonde.

Roughly five minutes later, their tempers had cooled to a degree and their captors thought it all right to let them go.

Then deeming it safe to resume daily life, everyone gathered around the table with their lunches. Choji had gotten himself a heaping of the spaghetti and noodles along with some mashed potatoes and beef patties, not caring whether he might find a piece of the Sasuke or Naruto in his cuisine.

Ino and Sakura eyed the food in Choji's plate wearily.

"You know, Choji," Ino started reprimanding her boyfriend, "Cholesterol clogs arteries and leads to strokes, even death. Tell him, Sakura."

The rosette nodded, "It's true."

Choji gave the girls an un amused look before glancing into their plates, "Then it's a good thing you're eating salad. Good for you."

Sakura and Ino shook their heads in defeat.

It was pointless.

They just had to depend of Ino shoving oatmeal down Choji's gullet for the rest of his life.

As the sound of chewing filled the room, Tenten walked into the lounge. And upon seeing people sitting at the table groaned loudly, "Damn, I missed it?"

The crowd nodded. Naruto and Sasuke threw the girl murderous looks as they nursed their cuts and bruises with the large ice packs given to them by Hinata. The brown haired girl sighed and took a seat beside Neji and Temari, "Someone should really consider drugging their food next time," she whispered.

"Why would we do something like that?" Kiba asked, his eavesdropping earning him a glare from Shikamaru's girlfriend.

"So they could just have sex already and stop breaking things and leaving food inedible for the rest of us! I'm tired of packing my own lunch!" Tenten growled as she deposited her bento on the table and looked sadly at the poorly shaped onigiri.

"Well then go get yourself some food from the student's dining hall," Kiba offered.

"Yeah," the philosophy professor scoffed, "So that I can have diarrhea for the rest of the day? I think not."

"Then you should have gotten here earlier," Kiba growled, not liking how his helpful suggestions kept getting shot down.

"Not to be rude," Neji interceded, "But some classes can't be let out twenty minutes before they end. We can't all hand out little packets and say 'study this and the things marked in yellow will be on the test!' It doesn't work like that."

"Not my fault you picked such an ass dry subject," Kiba grumbled.

"Organic chemistry is not ass dry," Neji grit his teeth, "It uses critical thinking which involves the use of one's brain, something I know you have no affinity for."

"Fuck off, Hyuga."

"That's what I thought," Neji smirked, "Little intelligence equals pathetic comeback."

"Oh yeah?" Kiba fisted the plastic fork in his hand, "How about you come off your mighty horse and take it out with me like a real man!"

Neji rolled his eyes, "Proved my point to a T."

Kiba was about to throw his plastic utensil at the pompous man when Sakura grabbed his arm in her ironclad fist, "Knock it off."

The tone of her voice had Kiba swallowing thickly.

Sakura was scary sometimes.

Like right now with the way her devil eyes were staring at him.

Pure evil.

Kiba shuddered.

Naruto wiped the blood from his lip and cursed, throwing the Uchiha a death glare. The raven rolled his eyes and iced his bruising arm daintily, not even bothering with words.

"Hey, Dicky," Sai took a seat next to Naruto, a box of bandages in his lap, "Let me fix you up."

Naruto groaned as he turned his head and looked into the smiling face of the art instructor. Hissing like a viper when Sai rubbed a cotton ball slick with alcohol against the corner of his mouth.

"Don't be such a baby, Dickless," Sai gently washed the cut, "It is very unbecoming in a boyfriend."

"Stop being an ass," Naruto smiled, knowing the other was trying to uplift his mood, then winced at the pain smiling provided, "Ow."

"Stop smiling," Sai brushed his fingers over Naruto's forehead, "It will give you mouth wrinkles. Then your fuckable status will drop."

"You're a weird one Sai," Naruto rolled his eyes before focusing on his 'nurse', "But I guess to each his own, right?"

Sai smiled eerily causing Naruto to internally shiver.

"Pst," Ino poked Sakura's rib as she gazed at the scene before her, "Look over there."

Sakura turned her head in the direction Ino's eyes were trained. The frown on her face quickly morphed into a grin. Poking Kiba, she motioned for him to take a look. Which he did, then grinned and in turn poked Hinata, who poked Shino. All the way down the table until everyone was staring at the three professors sitting on the long couch.

Sasuke was glaring daggers at the black haired boy who was caringly tending to Naruto's cuts and bruises. The blonde was solely focused on Sai, therefore didn't notice the tightening of the Uchiha's fist. Sai, on the other hand, had a good clear view of the frothing raven. He blinked and leaned closer to the blonde as he pulled Naruto's arm out of its sleeve.

Kiba snickered, "Man, this is really retarded."

"Sai is going to get it," Choji said between bites, "Big time."

"No he won't," Gaara spoke slowly, his voice deep and far away sounding as he lowered his fork.

"You're right," Neji agreed after wiping his mouth with a napkin, "Sasuke doesn't even know why it bothers him."

"Ph D sure doesn't mean much then," Shino stated boldly, "If you can't see what's right in front of your face."

The group of friends nodded.

"Troublesome really," Shikamaru looked at his watch, "Damn." Lazily, the psychologist stood from his seat at the table. With a look of longing his shoulders slumped as his eyes took in the recliner in the corner. Mind already imagining all the sleep he could have caught up on had he not had to teach a Psychology class in five minutes.

"Did Kakashi respond to the video?" Sakura asked once Shikamaru and a few others had left.

Kiba nodded, pulling out his phone to check for a response.

Sakura peered over her friend's shoulder to get a better look.

There was an animation.

Kiba hit the play button and the two watched as a slender finger went in and out of circle made by holding the thumb and index fingers at the tip. Sakura rolled her eyes as Kiba burst out into fits of laughter.

"Where does he get these things from?" She asked with an eye roll, "Perverts United?"

"Genma."

"Oh," Sakura tilted her head, an image of the computer graphics professor flashing through her head, "Figures."

:::

Naruto nursed his lip as he walked towards his next class. Two more hours until he got to go back to the apartment he shared with Kiba and Shikamaru. His thoughts aimlessly travelled back to the raven haired bastard. The blonde furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure.

Yet again had his ass been kicked, although the fucking Uchiha didn't get away unscathed either. How he hated that fucker. Stupid piss ass always managed to screw things up for him. What the fuck was his damn problem?

And his so called 'friends'…ugh what were Sasuke and he to them? Free entertainment? Sometimes, he honestly wondered if the group of professors at Konoha University, gathered together and planned ways to get him and the fucking Uchiha in the same room so they could watch them beat the shit out of each other. It wasn't damn fair!

He got here first!

Why did the bastard have to come here out of all the other places? He sighed as he turned the corner, eyes glancing up at the ceiling. _Someone must really have it out for me up there_.

:::

Sasuke was sitting in his office grading a stack of Calculus midterms when there was a knock on his door. Not being in a particularly helpful mood today, he didn't want to be bothered by the dumbass students he had no doubt were lining up outside his office to beg for extra points after the exam. He grit his teeth, rubbing his temples after marking another y=mx+b problem incorrect. If one more student got this damn y=mx+b crap wrong one more time, he was going to consider committing murder.

It was the easiest concept, really.

Sasuke couldn't understand how one could mess up such a simple equation! He glanced at the pile of graded papers, eyes narrowing into reptilian slits…apparently many people. With murder on his mind, Sasuke stood from his seat and walked towards the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Neji Hyuga standing in hallway.

"What do you want?"

Neji took Sasuke's words as an invitation to enter. Walking into the office, he took a seat in front of the wooden desk and folded his hands in his lap. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke sighed and closed the door. He returned to his seat, face devoid of any emotion as he waited for the grey eyed man to speak.

"You…seemed upset today," Neji finally said.

Sasuke growled, "Could be attributed to the many cuts and bruises I obtained from that moronic dobe."

"Hm," Neji nodded before leaning closer and lightening his tone to a degree, "Sai seemed very interested in your moronic dobe."

"So?" Sasuke shrugged, not quite understanding what exactly Neji wanted from him, "What difference does it make?"

"I wonder," Neji tried to control the smirk that was dying to show itself upon his face, "Do you think Naruto likes Sai?"

That instantly had a visible affect on Sasuke, causing Neji's eyes to mask with knowledge.

The Uchiha narrowed his eyes, "No."

"Oh?" Neji hummed, looking Sasuke in the eye, "Why is that?"

"The dobe wouldn't have pulled away from him if he did."

"How observant of you," Neji finally let his smirk shine through.

"Not really, "Sasuke scoffed, "The little idiot kind of screamed 'stop molesting me you pervert' quite loudly."

"Yes," Neji nodded, then pressed harder, "But did you see how Sai was touching him?"

Sasuke growled, not really appreciated being led on a leash in this fashion, "What do you want Neji?" He finally asked.

"I think Sai is in love with Naruto."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "And I care because?"

"Well, as my friend you should know about my feelings," Neji prodded further, intent on making the Uchiha uncomfortable.

"You like Naruto?" Sasuke's eyes widened, "Aren't you straight?"

Neji shrugged his shoulders, lying coming to him as naturally as breathing. "I guess not. I can't stop thinking about him. Every time I'm alone…I see his face."

Sasuke's eyes hardened, "You're lying."

"Why would I lie?"

Thinking for a minute, Sasuke frowned, unable to discern a plausible reason for Neji to deceive him. "…I don't know, but I know you're lying."

"Take it as you will," Neji said finally, letting not a shred of what he was _really_ thinking shine through. "But I indeed am very interested in the blonde. So, as my friend I will ask you to refrain from pummeling the man every time you see him. When I see you two rolling around on the floor it makes me angry. I don't want anyone touching him other than myself."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, "You're serious?"

"Dead serious."

"Alright," Leaning back a little in his chair, Sasuke attempted to absorb everything that had just taken place in his office."I'll try not to engage in violence with the do –Naruto, for your sake."

"Thank you."

Neji stood from his seat and bowed his head, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Sasuke nodded, watching as the Hyuga walked out of his office.

Neji liked his dobe…Neji liked Naruto. He glanced at the pile of ungraded papers and sighed. He was a good and loyal friend and it didn't matter that he could be cold and uncaring at times. His friends were important to him and at times he considered them as close as family.

Neji had respectfully asked him to lay off, so he would. However, what he didn't know was why this all made him feel incredibly…unhappy.

:::

Shikamaru glanced at the man coming out of the large brick building. Slowly, he pushed himself off the tree he was leaning against and waited for the longhaired professor to reach him.

"Did you get my malt balls?" Shikamaru asked.

"Affirmative."

"Hm," Shikamaru looked up at the sky, "Are the malt balls a go?"

"For the time being."

"Good."

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**So there's the first chapter. Let me know what you think of this story!**

**Now, a word from our guest of the day: KIBA!**

"**Hey fuckers! Guess what? Sasuke's an ass wipe, don't you agree? He always pushes Naruto around and shit and that's really fucking annoying. Still, when they're going at it, it's great to watch! Sakura broke my phone, the little bitch so now I have to go buy another one." Kiba looks at the smashed phone lying on the ground and curses colorfully.**

"**Also this damn author keeps harassing me," Kiba looks up at the sky, "Fucking nut job keeps asking me to tell you to review? Review what? Seriously, mental this one. Leave a review so she could stop bothering me alright?"**

**And that's Kiba everyone!**

**What do our friends have up their sleeve, hm? And what's with the malt balls?**

**See you all hopefully soon!**

**Review = ME HAPPY!**

**-Smartcat**


	2. The Candy Brigade

**Hello to my most wonderful readers! First, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. I loved reading them and it made me want to update this story as fast as I could! I had this chapter finished Sunday but I couldn't post it because...I LOST MY INTERNET CONNECTION DUE TO A FREAKIN' BLIZZARD! I've been cut off from the internet for the past two days and it's finally back up and running. Hallelujah! *down on knees*  
**

**This chapter is not beta'd so please excuse any grammatical mistakes you may find.

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Chapter 2: The Candy Brigade

Naruto collapsed onto his bed as soon as he got home from work. He kicked off his shoes and stared up at the white painted ceiling. His eyes glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was a little after six and Kiba and Shikamaru both had classes until ten. Naruto decided now would be a good time to grab a quick shower and take a much needed nap. His blue eyes came to rest on the orange backpack sitting atop his chair. There were fifty papers waiting to be graded and a graduate exam that needed writing. He scowled, maybe he could squeeze that in after his nap? He thought about it for a few minutes. If he took a shower now and set his alarm clock for ten, he could get some needed rest than have enough time to do all the work he needed. It was a brilliant plan.

Naruto jumped off the bed and began stripping off his clothes. Off flew the white button down shirt, down came the iron pressed dress pants, the brown, big buckled belt Sakura had given him for his twentieth birthday was hurled onto the bed. Socks flew to the floor and down came the orange boxers with yellow polka dots. The blonde grabbed a towel hanging from the hook on his door, and ran stark naked to the bathroom.

:::

Shikamaru shoved Kiba into his jeep and grumbled something incoherent under his breath. Kiba threw his friend a wicked glare before buckling his seatbelt. The psychology professor rolled his eyes and got into the car.

"We're making a quick stop at the electronics store," he said.

"Why?"

"I need to get a few things."

"Oh," Kiba sighed, "What for?"

"The plan."

"The plan?" Kiba wrinkled his nose, "What plan?"

"Operation malt balls," Shikamaru said, voice border lining on boredom.

"Operation malt balls?" Kiba furrowed his brow, "What the fuck does that mean?"

:::

The loud beeping of the alarm clock had Naruto sitting straight up with eyes wide open. He reached out a tan hand and slammed it hard against the blasted clock. Slowly, he slithered out of bed and walked over to feed Gamakichi, his orange pet frog.

"Hey Gamakichi," Naruto tapped the glass with his finger, "Want some grub?"

The frog let out a loud croak, hopped closer to the glass, and pressed its face to the smooth surface. Naruto chuckled lightly as he let in some live flies into the tank. Gamakichi's long pink tongue wasted no time in pulling the little winged insects into his mouth.

"Now _I_ need something to eat."

Naruto made his way into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. When was the last time Sakura had been over? The fridge was in serious need of some real food. Naruto scavenged the shelves looking for something to appease his growling stomach. There was Temari's casserole…some leftover fried shrimp…a bunch of fried rice and Akamaru's dog food. The blonde sighed and grabbed the fried shrimp, putting it in the microwave. Then he waited patiently for his dinner to be ready. The soft ding went off soon enough, and Naruto quickly began devouring his measly meal. He looked up at the clock after finishing and frowned. It was already half past ten…where were the guys? They only lived a five-minute car ride from the campus…and if the two had decided to walk, they should have already been here by now. Naruto grabbed himself a glass of water and made his way back to his room intent on getting some work done.

The next morning Naruto awoke to the loud banging on his door. He lifted his head from his desk and groaned.

He had fallen asleep grading the stupid papers!

He chanced a look at the clock and swore.

"Naruto what the fuck is taking you so long?" Kiba yelled, "We're gonna leave if you don't get your ass out here in five minutes!"

The blonde jumped from his desk and began running about his room throwing on clothes left and right. He glanced at himself in the mirror, patted down his hair as best he could, grabbed his papers, shoved them into his orange backpack and ran out the door. Shikamaru was standing in the hall jingling the set of keys. Naruto ran outside, unaware he had put his shirt on inside out.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered before heading out to the car.

:::

Naruto had made it just in time for his graduate writing class. The students were already sitting in their seats waiting for him to begin. Fuka was sitting in the front row again, her breasts nearly spilling out from the low cut blouse she wore. Naruto shuddered. He had to remember to get out of the class fast before the red haired woman could stop him. Fuka smiled flirtatiously at her professor. It didn't matter that she was older than he was. She wanted the blonde professor all to herself. Nothing turned her on more than a man with an intelligent head on his shoulders.

"How did the writing assignment go?" Naruto began.

The class quickly started in on a discussion. Some students decided that journalistic writing wasn't one of their strong suites. Other students had found the assignment to be quite endearing. Shun, a young man with cropped hair, said that he had greatly enjoyed scouting out information about his topic. Naruto was thrilled with the responses he was getting. The students were all so enthusiastic, even the ones who had trouble with the assignment were contributing a great deal.

When there was a half hour left, Naruto split the class into six groups so the students could have some time to study for the exam he was going to give them on Friday. Everyone got to work as Naruto began writing the key themes on the board. The blonde was nearly done scribbling when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Quickly, he drew it out and read the text from Shikamaru.

_Sasuke is in the Staff lounge. _

_Just letting you know. _

Naruto sighed and put his phone away. Damn, he had planned to grab a bite to eat in his forty-minute break. Grumbling under his breath, he decided he would have to make do with a piece of fruit from the student's dining hall. He was so concentrated on his thoughts he didn't even notice the students packing up and heading to their next class. What made him finally come to was the slender hand wrapping itself around his waist. Naruto jumped.

"What are you doing?" he brushed the chalk dust from his clothes as he stared pointedly at Fuka. The voluptuous woman smiled slyly as she took a step forward, "Professor…I'm having some trouble studying for the exam."

"Really?" Naruto shifted so that the desk stood between the two of them, "What areas are you having issues with?"

"The lower regions," she pursed her lips, "They need your strong guidance."

Naruto visibly swallowed.

Fuka grew even more excited.

"Professor I need you to teach me," she ran a hand through her hair, "I need you to tutor me in private."

"T-that's n-not a v-very good i-idea Fuka," Naruto stammered as he saw the girl grab his backpack from the floor. She hugged it close to her chest, her breasts enclosing the orange backpack as she moved it up and down. The gesture caused her breasts to move quite erotically.

"Why professor?" she dropped the bag and launched herself at Naruto, grabbing the tail of his shirt in her hand as the young professor tried to flee. Naruto felt himself pulled back by a surprisingly great amount of force. He collided with her body, the soft breasts pushed hard against his clothed chest. Fuka pushed Naruto hard into the chair. The blonde gasped as the air escaped his lungs. He had to get away without hurting her. However, her grip was unexpectedly strong.

"I need you to tutor me right now," she purred into his ear as she trapped him in the chair, straddling the panicking English professor.

"Fuka, please get off me. This is highly improper," Naruto choked out before the girl crashed her lips on his. Naruto began to thrash in his seat, trying desperately to lodge his student off himself. His frantic behavior proved useful. With enough random hand and foot movements, he was able to switch his position and plant Fuka into the seat. Quickly, Naruto grabbed his backpack and ran out of the classroom, not even noticing the two students who had stood guard outside the door. The woman and man entered the room to find Fuka steaming in the chair gritting her teeth.

"I'm guessing you failed?" the dark haired woman snickered.

"Shut up!" Fuka snapped.

"Let's go," the man grumbled.

"I'm going to get him," Fuka snarled, "I've got only a month and a half left until I graduate! I have to have him before I do!"

"Of all the men at this campus," Fudo grimaced as Fuka stood up, "You had to go after a gay one?"

"He's not gay!" yelled an angry Fuka, "He's bi, which means I still have a chance!"

Fuen and Fudo shared a look before exiting the classroom with Fuka in tow.

:::

"I expect to be reimbursed fully," Shikamaru said as he handed out the small walkie-talkies. Sakura took hers and stared at it thoughtfully. So, _this_ is why Shikamaru had asked her to dismiss her class early.

"How much did it cost?"

"Thirty."

"Thirty!" Sakura's voice rose in pitch, "For this lousy piece of-"

"They have long range," Kiba interrupted.

Sakura glared at the man who sat beside her.

"I do not understand," Lee looked up at his friends, "Why do we need these?"

"Because," Shikamaru sighed, "This is how we're going to make the plan work."

"What plan?" Kankuro asked.

"Operation malt balls!" Kiba grinned, "We're fucking going to rip this shit!"

After Shikamaru explained the plan he and Neji had come up with yesterday evening, the crowd of friends began humming with excitement.

"Do you think it will work?"

"If everyone does as I say," Shikamaru said dryly looking pointedly at Kiba.

"How about Sai?"Sakura asked, "Why isn't he here?"

"That is because Sai would tell Naruto," Neji stood gracefully from his seat, "I have no doubt in my mind that our dear art instructor would like nothing better than to see our efforts crumble."

"But Sai is always hanging around him," Ino pointed out, "How is this supposed to work if Naruto's shadow follows him everywhere? Sai would end up ruining our plans without even knowing them."

"True," Shikamaru said offhandedly, "That's another reason why we have these." He wiggled the small technological device in his hand with a slight grin.

"You want us to become ninjas?" Choji asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I want you to be super ninjas," Shikamaru clarified, "Teach and spy all at the same time."

"We won't be able to pull this off with just us," Shino said, "The campus is too large."

"That's why I brought in reinforcements." Shikamaru turned to the door.

No one came in.

He scratched his head, "Troublesome."

Neji was just about to go open the door when it flew open and everyone's eyes landed on the most hideous shade of green their retinas had ever had to process.

"Hello my youthful subordinates!" Neji swallowed hard and began backing away as quickly and quietly as possible. "Kakashi!" the green giant bellowed.

When there was no movement, Gai excused himself and rushed out the door. Roughly two minutes later he came running back in with a haggard looking Kakashi slumped over his back.

"Lost him for a moment there," Gai chuckled as he slid poor Kakashi off his back.

Sakura's eye twitched.

Kakashi leaned heavily on the wall taking large gulps of air through his mask. Lee was standing up clapping loudly as Gai took a dramatic bow and flashed everyone in the room his blinding smile. Tenten recoiled as memories long since buried started to resurface. She clamped her hands over her head willing the memories of her first year at Konoha University to go away.

Neji stood in the corner glaring at the man who had unconsciously made his first year here, hell on earth.

"The representatives," Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders.

"What can those two do that we can't?" Kiba asked.

Kakashi straightened and patted himself down ensuring nothing was damaged or broken. He then proceeded to take lead of the conversation, "It's not just the two of us. We're here representing roughly twenty people. Tsunade has taken a particular interest in this," Kakashi scratched his head, "Eh…I guess you could call it a mission. I quote, 'Damn blonde brat and that Uchiha better stop breaking things in my University! Get the two of them together so I could get back to more important things!' So you see, many of the Heads have been pushed into this…scheme that Shikamaru has concocted. I being one of them. Tsunade even has a bet going. So if any of you care to place wagers…feel free to stop by her office."

The next day everyone was going about his or her daily business as if nothing out of the ordinary was now in play. Naruto was freaking out however; he had yet to write the exam for his graduate class. Today was going to be an exceptionally long day. It was looking like there was going to be an all-nighter in his near future. Naruto entered the staff lounge and sat himself down at the table, hitting his forehead against the smooth cool surface. Gaara eyed him warily as he lowered the chopsticks away from his mouth

"Gaara," Naruto said glumly, "I need a break."

The red head frowned, "Yes. It seems so."

"I'm supposed to give an exam Friday except I still haven't written the blasted thing yet!"

"You still have today and tomorrow," Gaara offered.

Naruto slumped his shoulders, "I also have a student who's intent on molesting me."

Gaara choked on his rice. He began coughing hard.

Naruto sat up and looked oddly at his friend. His eyes widened when Gaara's face began turning a dangerous purple color. The blonde slapped the chocking professor hard on the back.

It took a few minutes for Gaara to get back his coloring. When he was finally feeling somewhat okay he turned his full attention on Naruto.

"What did you say?"

"You sure you won't choke this time?" Naruto said jokingly.

Gaara let out a low growl.

Naruto swallowed, "Joke Gaara. It was a joke. Laugh."

"Oh," Gaara's mouth softened.

"This student of mine," Naruto rested his head in his palm, "Fuka, has been making advances. Yesterday she went further than she ever did. She's been a student of mine for nearly two years now and I can honestly say I will be glad when she leaves after graduation. I've told her to stop on countless occasions but she just won't leave me alone."

"Have you talked to Tsunade about it?" Gaara suggested.

Naruto nodded, "There isn't much she can do. It's really my word against hers."

Gaara thought for a moment, "I could take care of her for you."

The blonde shook his head furiously, "No Gaara. No taking care of it like _that_. I want her to stop molesting me, not have her killed."

"I still have my contacts Naruto," Gaara waved his hand, "It wouldn't be me doing the actual taking care of."

Naruto gulped and shook his head again more venomously.

Gaara sighed, "Fine then. What do you propose to do?"

"Run out of my class and install a peep hole in my office door?"

Gaara furrowed his brow, "That is no way to live your life. Have you forgotten what you taught me?"

Naruto sighed, "No…but I think this is the best way. She will be gone in two months tops."

The door to the staff lounge flew open and in came Sakura, sporting a rather deadly aura. Gaara and Naruto chanced a look at each other before Sakura plopped in between them.

"I am seriously considering committing a felony," Sakura said darkly.

"W-what happened Sakura?" Naruto stammered. A trickle of sweat ran down his face as he wearily eyed the Anatomy professor.

"Those brats," Sakura leered, "I will show them who can play games."

Gaara wisely chose to go get himself a drink from the juice bar. The door opened again and in came Kiba and Shikamaru.

"Hey Naruto!" Kiba said loudly. Sakura's head snapped to the door and Kiba got a good look at the fire blazing inside Sakura's eyes. "Fuck, what crawled up your ass and died?"

Sakura was up in a heartbeat. She grabbed Kiba by the collar and started shaking him for everything he was worth, "I WILL RIP OUT YOUR PURKINJE FIBERS!" (1)

"What are purkinje fibers?" Naruto whispered to Shikamaru who was now occupying Sakura's seat. The psychology professor shrugged.

Kiba was trying to loosen Sakura's grip on his collar. The constant snapping back and forth of his head was making him dizzy, not to mention…nauseous. He really needed to learn how to keep his mouth shut around the short fused female.

The door opened and Lee bounced inside. He took one look at the violence taking place, accessed it, nodded his head and proceeded with caution. The bushy browed speech professor took a seat beside Shikamaru and cleared his throat.

"I ate a malt ball for lunch."

Sakura stopped throttling Kiba.

Kiba stopped moving and shifted his eyes to get a better look.

"Is the licorice at the counter?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes. The Licorice is sold separately," Lee nodded.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto frowned.

"The dollars are also on the table," Lee continued.

"How about the Twizzler?" Shikamaru asked.

"Waiting to be bought."

"Does anyone else think they've gone crazy?" Naruto looked around the room.

"Oh Naruto," Lee said suddenly, "Kakashi was looking for you just now. He's upstairs."

The blonde sighed and got up. "This better not be another, 'I-was-late-on-your-paperwork-can-you-send-it-in-again' speech." If Kakashi lost his stuff _again,_ he was seriously planning on breaking a few of the man's bones. As soon as Naruto had left the staff lounge, Shikamaru pulled his walkie-talkie out of his pocket.

"The orange is out of the fridge. I repeat, the orange is out of the fridge."

Everyone waited with baited breath.

The walkie-talkie crackled, "Target in site. Orange is within range."

"Do we have visual on the Painter?"

"…Target in sight," Hinata's voice echoed through the room.

"Alright ninjas," Shikamaru said, "Do your thing."

Kakashi tucked his walkie-talkie into his pocket and turned his back on the approaching blonde.

"Here goes," Iruka said as he watched the younger man approach.

At the sound of a throat clearing behind him, Kakashi turned around with a smile plastered onto his face, "Why Naruto, how are you?"

"Fine," Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "Hey Iruka."

"Hello Naruto," Iruka smiled at the young professor, "What's up?"

"Lee told me Kakashi was looking for me," Naruto said as he looked at the Head of his department, "What is it?"

"Oh its nothing," Kakashi waved his hand, "I thought I lost your paperwork but it seems I had just misplaced it. Iruka was so kind in helping me look."

Naruto frowned, "Oh. Well okay then."

The blonde turned to go but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder, "Say Naruto, how about we take a little walk, hm?"

"Kakashi, I'm not having this discussion," Naruto shook off the older man's hand, "I'm not a kid anymore."

"Still," Kakashi led the blonde down the hall, "It will only take a minute." The silver haired professor cast a look in Iruka's direction and held up three fingers.

When the two of them were out of sight, Iruka grabbed his walkie-talkie, "The Orange is on the go, dollar is with him. I repeat the Orange is on the go and the dollar is with him."

Neji listened to the message and sighed. How did he get himself into this mess again? Oh yes, he wanted peace and quiet. Nevertheless, if it hadn't been for Shikamaru's awfully persuasive argument he wouldn't even have considered doing what he was about to do. He just had to keep telling himself it was for the good of the people.

"Kakashi it's not my fault! That bastard always tries to pick a fight with me!" Naruto said angrily, "How come _you_ don't give _him_ the talk?"

Kakashi patted Naruto on the head, "Because I know who the smarter one is." With that said, Kakashi quickly left before Naruto could read too far into his comment. The blonde frowned and continued walking down the hallway himself. He was about head down the stairs when he spotted Neji pacing furiously up and down the corridor.

"Hey Neji what's wrong?" Naruto called.

Neji's head snapped up. He looked around before his eyes landed on Naruto.

"What's wrong?" Naruto repeated.

"Not here," Neji said and motioned for the blonde to follow him.

Kakashi watched as Neji led Naruto outside the building. He brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth and sighed, "Twizzler has the Orange. I repeat, Twizzler has the Orange."

Shikamaru grinned at everyone huddled around the table, "Time to go get me some licorice."

Naruto let himself be led to the wooden bench sitting amongst the oak trees. The wind was cool but not harsh enough for him to feel chilled. He watched as Neji sat on the bench and motioned for Naruto to do the same. Once he had done so, Neji began to speak rather morosely.

"I'm in love Naruto."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up, "That's great...but why do you look so upset?"

"Because I do not know how to confess my love," Neji said quickly.

"Ah," Naruto nodded, "I see. Who is it?"

"…"

"Well?" Naruto waited.

"Um…I'd rather not say."

"Oh," Naruto scratched his ear, "Okay then. Why don't you practice in front of a mirror then?"

"I have already done so but it doesn't feel right," Neji was wondering if maybe Naruto wasn't as bright as he would have the others think.

"Well how about you practice on me," Naruto said, "I can pretend to be the person you're in love with. Do you think that will help?"

Neji took back his earlier thought. Naruto was a genius and deserved every honor he received, "I suppose…maybe."

"It will be fine. I promise I won't tell anyone. It will be our secret alright?" Naruto grinned, "Just let me know how it ends okay?"

Neji nodded his head.

:::

"What is it Shikamaru?" Sasuke said, not trying to mask the boredom in his voice.

"Take a walk with me."

Sasuke scowled but got up from his chair and picked up his coffee cup. It was unusual for Shikamaru to ask him for anything. Was it work related? The wheels in the Uchiha's brain began whirling as he thought of all the things that could have gone wrong for Shikamaru (of all people) to need to speak with him in private.

When they had walked outside, Sasuke began to grow irritated. If the man was going to tell him something, he should spit it out already. His break was ending in twenty minutes and Sasuke wanted to get some work done. The raven stopped walking when he spotted a blonde mop of hair sitting on a bench. Shikamaru smiled and continued down the path leaving Sasuke to watch the scene before him.

Neji was cursing Shikamaru to hell right now. Naruto was sitting in front of him patiently, waiting for some confession to tumble out of his mouth. Damn it where was that lazy Nara! Just then, he spotted the pineapple haired man pass a couple of trees. All right, it was now or never.

"There is something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now," Neji started as his eyes darted from the rock by Naruto's foot to the squirrel climbing up the tree.

"What is it?" Naruto grinned.

"I…have…" damn it, this was turning out harder then he thought, "I am in love with you…I think about you all the time these days and well…what I'm trying to say is," Neji took Naruto's hand in his, "I want us to be together. I know you have work and so do I but I think this could be good for us-"

"Say some things about her eyes, her face," Naruto said.

Neji nodded, "Your eyes are like…like waterfalls over a mystic plain, your skin is as soft as the finest tea roses and your lips, "Neji cupped Naruto's chin, "They are like magnificent rubies shining more precious than any diamond in this world." Neji slowly ran his thumb against Naruto's bottom lip, "I have come to greatly admire your beauty and the time we spend together. When I'm with you, it's as if time itself has stopped moving. I want you in my life. I want you to be with me." Neji leaned down and gently placed a kiss on Naruto's slightly parted lips.

A few feet away, Sasuke Uchiha spilled his coffee as he watched his best friend kiss the blonde man. His eyes widened further as the Hyuga's arms wrapped around Naruto and pulled him closer. Sasuke blinked, unsure of what the feeling inside him was.

Was he angry?

He wasn't sure.

Upset?

Slightly, but why?

Moreover, why was he feeling this uncontrollable bout of jealousy? Surely, he couldn't be jealous of Neji. That was preposterous. No…why was he feeling jealous? Why did he want to rip the Hyuga off Uzumaki?

Sasuke blinked again.

Why did he care?

Just then, he saw Naruto slowly push Neji away. The Hyuga straightened his back and stared at the blonde professor.

Now why was Sasuke feeling this strange sense of elation?

Why was he happy?

He didn't care about what went on with Uzumaki.

So…why the feelings?

"Ehm," Naruto gave his head a little shake, "Very good. Very convincing."

"Sorry about the kiss," Neji added blinking furiously, "I must have imagined…"

"No! It's not a problem," Naruto smiled hesitantly, "I-I just wasn't expecting it that's all."

"Well thank you Naruto," Neji stood from his seat, "You are a great friend. I will let you know how my confession goes." He bowed his head and walked briskly back into the building.

Naruto sat still on the bench letting the wind blow at his hair. He decided to stay outside for a while to let his body cool down. It had been a long time since someone had kissed him in such a way. He heard a twig snap and looked up.

In front of him stood Sasuke Uchiha.

Naruto sighed, blaming the heavens for his accursed luck. The raven didn't say anything as he sat beside the blonde professor. Naruto eyed the Uchiha warily. They hadn't seen hide or hair of each other since their fight earlier this week.

"Dobe."

"What?" Naruto responded cautiously.

Sasuke looked at the professor sitting next to him. The man's whole body was tensed up in a defensive way.

"I'm not going to hit you moron," Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Relax."

Naruto stiffened even more, "I am relaxed bastard."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Naruto cursed as he realized Sasuke was right. Slowly, he relaxed his muscles.

"What?" He asked again.

"Must I have a reason to sit on a bench?" The Uchiha inquired.

"This is quite out of character for you," Naruto said, "Usually you would never sit next to me freely."

"Hn."

"I hate it when you do that," Naruto growled.

"Do what?" Sasuke asked.

"Hn at me."

"Hn."

"Bastard," Naruto mumbled darkly.

"I don't," Sasuke started, "Like wasting words. I find it unnecessary."

"Really," Naruto said, "I love words. If you haven't noticed…I'm an English professor."

"If you hadn't noticed," Sasuke smirked, "I'm a Math professor. We do numbers not words."

"I don't really like math," Naruto said slowly, "Wasn't very good at it in high school."

"I remember."

"You would wouldn't you," Naruto smiled, "That was the base for most of your lowly jabs at my intelligence."

"Hn."

"Wonderful," Naruto rolled his eyes, "The grunt again."

"You know you could have asked for my help in high school," Sasuke said slowly, "I would probably have helped you. After all, I did help Sakura."

"Yeah," Naruto scratched the back of his ear, "Probably. However, I didn't want to give you the satisfaction."

Sasuke smiled, "I thought as much."

Naruto grinned, "Is that a smile I see Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sasuke glared at the blonde, "What? Am I not allowed that form of expression?"

"Geez," Naruto glared back, "It was just a joke."

"It wasn't very funny."

"Hn."

Sasuke frowned, "I thought you hated it when I grunted at you."

"Thought you'd like a taste of your own medicine," Naruto stood and glanced at his watch, "Damn it. I have a class in ten minutes."

He looked at Sasuke in surprise, "I think this might have been the first time I've walked away from you without some sort of injury."

Sasuke nodded, "Same."

"Well I can't say it was a pleasure," Naruto stuck his hands into his pockets, "But it wasn't too bad. I'll see you around." Naruto gave Sasuke a curt nod and headed back towards the building. The raven watched Naruto disappear inside before standing up and heading in as well. He also had a class waiting for him.

Shikamaru brought the walkie-talkie close to his mouth, "The Snake has played with the Fox. No bodily injures. Mission success. I repeat, mission success."

Everyone in the staff lounge let out a long held in breath. Sakura nodded at the walkie-talkie in her hand. Maybe, just maybe things were looking up.

Today had marked a very important day. It was the first time, in fifteen years, that Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki had managed to have a civil conversation without inflicting any injuries on each other.

This was progress.

This was progress indeed.

* * *

**(1) Purkinje fibers are important fibers for electric signals on the outside of your heart.**

**Second chapter done!**

**Now a word from our genius…Shikamaru!**

"**Yeah yeah," Shikamaru throws the crowd a bored look, "We'll see how this plays out. Don't get your hopes up kids, we're dealing with a pair of morons. I'm going to try to-hey!"**

"**Who the fuck are you talking to Shikamaru?" Kiba pushes the brown haired man out of the way to inspect the place, "There's no one here!"**

**Shikamaru frowns, "Troublesome."**

**Favs and Reviews are greatly appreciated! Review=ME HAPPY!**

**Until next time,**

**-Smartcat**


	3. Dance To The Beat

**Hello to my wonderful readers! Thank you all so much for reviewing! I was so happy to find my inbox full with your amazing comments! Seriously, I like live off them. They are my nourishment. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**

**On another note, I drew some fanart for the last chapter when I was bored. It was me experimenting with Photoshop so it's not that good. Here's the link to it if you wanna see it. Just remove the spaces: **http :/ smartcat101. deviantart. Com /#/ d36z24r

**If you want to draw fanart, be my guest! I love it, since my drawings suck *sulks in a corner***

**This chapter is not beta'd so please excuse any grammatical mistakes you may find.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Dance To The Beat

Sasuke rode the elevator up to the English department with a look of sheer boredom on his face. As the elevator doors parted, Sasuke stepped out, manila envelope in hand, and began the tedious walk down the hall towards Kakashi's office. He chanced a glance at his watch and sighed. It was already after eleven. His class had ended almost an hour ago and he was still here.

The calculations he'd done for Kakashi could have waited until morning. Technically, he shouldn't have even been doing them, but…since this was Kakashi…

Sasuke stopped as his eyes landed on a half-open door. A beam of light was pouring out from the room. He quietly walked across the hall, casting his gaze inside as he passed.

He stopped again.

Inside sat Naruto, busily working on something at his desk. The blonde man had a pencil tucked behind his ear as he analyzed something written on a piece of paper. Sasuke watched as Naruto's fingers reached for the pencil and brought it down to the paper. The blonde scribbled something, then turned to his computer and began typing heavily on the keyboard.

What was he doing there this late? All English classes had ended hours ago. Sasuke watched as the blonde turned in his chair and picked up a book laying on top his desk. He flipped through the pages at an outstanding speed before stopping and squinting at the text written inside.

"I guess I won't put that one in," the blonde said suddenly, causing Sasuke to jerk backwards. Naruto then proceeded to flip through the book, taking notes down and typing boxes of text on the computer.

A phone rang inside the English professor's office. The blonde man groaned before reaching for the corded telephone, cursing all the while.

"Hello?...Hey, Kiba!...No, I don't know when I'll be getting back. I have to finish this damned midterm for my students…yeah, I'm going to ask Sakura to swing by…yeah, I know, but do you want to eat Temari's casserole again? No offense to Shikamaru, but that girl's cooking does a number on my intestines…No, that was you….No, I did replace the toilet paper when I was done. Stop blaming it on me! Maybe it was…oh?...whatever, it doesn't matter. Look Kiba, I really have to get this done. Right now, it looks like I'm going to be here all night. Can you bring me a spare change of clothes?...Don't bring that shirt Sai gave me for Christmas though. You know how he gets when I wear things he bought me…well then you're lucky….alright I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." Naruto hung up and continued working on the midterm he was preparing for his students.

Sasuke stepped further away from the light leaking out of the doorway. His eyes still locked on the blonde man. _What a loser,_ he thought;_ it's his own fault for leaving it all till the last minute._ Sasuke turned and continued towards Kakashi's office. He slipped the envelope under the wooden door and turned towards the stairwell. With his hands in his pockets, Sasuke calmly walked down the stairs and out of the building.

:::

Naruto was rudely awakened by Kiba's palms banging hard down on the desk. Cerulean eyes snapped open to find a bunch of clothes being hurled at his face. Naruto's hand shot out and grabbed the articles of clothing.

"Morning to you too, Kiba," Naruto grumbled as he stood from his chair.

"Brought you a doughnut," Kiba smiled as he watched his friend rub the sleep out of his eyes, "Shikamaru had an early class so he's already teaching. I've got a lecture starting in half an hour."

Naruto nodded while his mouth opened in a yawn. He began unbuttoning his wrinkled shirt.

"Did you finish at least?" Kiba said as he took a seat in front of the blonde's desk. Naruto nodded as he threw his worn shirt on the chair and proceeded to put on the crisp blue button down Kiba had brought.

"Well, that's good," the biology professor snickered as Naruto cursed. The buttons on his shirt were proving too much for his brain at the moment. Kiba sighed and stood from his chair. He approached the blonde and began helping him with buttoning his shirt.

"Thanks," Naruto mumbled as Kiba's fingers made quick work of the milky white buttons. The brunette shrugged his shoulders, stepping away when he was finished. Naruto unzipped his pants and pulled them down.

Kiba waited patiently for Naruto to finish dressing. When the blonde was finally finished, Kiba threw the doughnut at his friend and the two walked out of Naruto's office, and headed for the staff lounge for some coffee.

When the two entered, they headed straight for the coffee machine located conveniently at the front of the room. Naruto sluggishly held his Styrofoam cup as he leaned against the wall, his eyes closed, while Kiba hungrily waited for the water to boil. The brown haired professor's ears perked however, when he heard the door to the staff lounge open. Kiba turned his head curiously, only moments later to let out a growl.

"Damn it," he grumbled, "The groper is here."

Naruto opened one eye and looked at Kiba thoughtfully. He then directed his one open eye in the direction of the door. Sai was strolling towards them casually, with his signature smile in place. The blonde professor shut his eye and slumped.

"Good morning, ass face…dickless."

"Fuck you," the two boys said in unison.

"Aren't we cheerful," Sai said sourly, then his eyes landed on the brewing pot of coffee, "Oh, I see. You two haven't had your daily dose yet."

"Correct," Naruto said, opening both eyes now.

Sai's smile quickly turned into a frown when his gaze landed on the dark circles under the young English professor's eyes. He folded his arms and took a step closer to the blonde, peering closer at the darkened skin.

"Don't tell me you were up all night," Sai said angrily.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. He stared at Sai's foot as it tapped out an angry rhythm. Sai, disliking the lack of eye contact gripped Naruto's chin and lifted it upwards so the younger man was looking directly at him.

"Naruto," Sai's penetrating gaze didn't lessen.

"I had to finish writing the midterm," Naruto growled, he didn't like being treated like a small child, "I know what I'm doing, Sai. Get off." Naruto grabbed the pale hand and shoved it from himself.

Kiba poured himself a steaming cup of coffee, completely ignoring the exchange between the two men. He walked over to the staff table and sat himself down in an empty chair. Taking a whiff of the delicious aroma, he sighed in contentment.

"…I'm not a kid! Leave me the hell alone!" Naruto spat.

"It is unhealthy for anyone to go without the appropriate amount of rest," Sai retorted calmly. His anger already masked by the fact that Naruto was reacting so quickly.

"I know that! Quit lecturing me all the time," Naruto crushed the cup in his hand. His eyebrows knit together furiously after he realized what he had done. Cursing colorfully, he grabbed himself another cup and reached for the brewed pot of coffee.

Sai carefully approached Naruto's backside. Gently he wrapped his pale arms around the younger man's waist, "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Naruto frowned at this. However, he let his anger fade, "It's alright," he mumbled, "I know you mean well."

Sai heaved a sigh of relief as he felt the tension leave Naruto's body, "I'm glad to hear that." The art professor's hands lowered as he stroked the toned muscles belonging to the blonde. "You need to relax, muscle tension is highly unfavorable," he said as he let his hands roam down lower.

"Sai," Naruto said, "If your hand so much as brushes against my cock, you will find yourself in need of a new appendage." Sai withdrew his hand as if it had been scorched by fire. He swallowed heavily, "Why Naruto, what do you take me for?"

The blonde turned, "A complete pervert who has no restraint what so ever."

And with that said, he walked past Sai and took a seat next to Kiba; pounding his best friend's fist in the process.

:::

"…And then they plundered the great city leaving no survivors. Men, women and children were all slaughtered," Ino concluded her lecture. The class heaved a sigh and let the pens and pencils fall from their cramped fingers. Ino smiled victoriously, this was how she kept her students in line. When you don't give handouts, students are forced to listen. "Genghis Khan was merciless, just like I'll be if your papers aren't on my desk by the end of the week."

The class groaned in unison.

Ino was one mean, slave driver.

"Don't give me that," Ino let out a giggle, "You'll thank me when yo-"

The walkie-talkie crackled to life sounding directly into the History professor's ear. Ino winced as she fiddled with the earpiece, hoping to fix it before it damaged her hearing.

"Excuse me," she said to the class and turned around.

"…Sticky fingers has left his hole. I repeat, sticky fingers has left his hole. I see him walking towards the south side of the Health and Science Building."

Ino rushed to the windows and looked out. She spotted Sai instantly, "I have a visual on Gropey."

"…Gropey?" Shikamaru looked into his walkie and gave a visible shudder, "Ino, keep an eye on the target."

"Roger," Ino said and watched as Sai entered the building, "Lost visual. Target has entered the first floor of the building."

"…This is Chip and Dale, we have visual on Gropey."

Shikamaru closed his eyes and tried to keep his blood pressure from rising. The students in his class were staring at their professor with worried expression on their faces. The man was clutching the walkie-talkie in a death grip. Some were wondering if their psychology professor hadn't by chance, gone insane himself.

"Kotetsu, you don't have to give yourself a nickname," Shikamaru grumbled into the walkie-talkie.

The security guard smirked, "I know, but then where's the fun? Oh, crap, he just got on the elevator."

Ino ran to the door of her classroom and peered out into the hall, "I'm looking out at the elevator. What floor is Naruto on?"

"…The fourth," Kiba's voice crackled into her ear.

"I'm on the third," Ino said, "Do we have anyone up on the fourth floor?"

"…Tenten here, I'm on the fourth floor."

"Watch the elevator," Shikamaru ordered, "If Sai comes out, you must intercept him. I don't care how you do it, just make sure he doesn't get to Naruto. That would ruin our plan."

"Alright," Tenten's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie, "You can count on me."

Ino sighed in relief and turned around to face her students, "What?" she snapped when she noticed the looks on their faces.

Tenten watched the elevators from within her classroom. She kept the door open as she waited. She didn't have to wait long. The elevator doors parted to reveal Sai stepping out casually.

"Target confirmed. I have target in visual. Intercepting now." Tenten walked out the door and yelled out, "Sai! Hey, Sai!"

The ebony-eyed man turned around with a look of surprise on his face, "Tenten?"

"Yeah! Hey listen, can you come watch my class for a few minutes? Shizune just called me down."

"Why don't you just dismiss them early?" Sai asked.

"I'll only be a few minutes and besides, there's a few important concepts that I need to cover today. If I don't, the class will be behind everyone else. Please, Sai?" Tenten bit her lip. She watched as Sai looked down the hall and then back at her. Finally, he nodded his head.

"Thank you so much!" Tenten ushered him into her classroom, "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said to her students before giving a little wave and walking out. Sai eyed the students in the class who were all giving him calculating looks.

"What's this class?" he asked.

"Philosophy 101," a student answered.

"Wonderful," Sai muttered.

Once Tenten reached the safety provided her by the women's restroom she picked up her walkie-talkie, "This is Plato reporting. Interception success."

"…Naruto's class is about to finish. Gaara, you know what you need to do." Shikamaru's voice spoke through the transmitter.

"…Yes." Gaara's voice replied.

"Good."

:::

"No, it isn't a love story," Naruto shook his head, "It is more of a lust story."

"So you don't believe in love at first sight, professor?" A freshmen girl asked.

Naruto smiled, "I don't know what I believe."

"Then how can you say that Romeo and Juliet didn't fall in love upon first sight?" Another girl asked.

"How can you say they did?" Naruto asked back.

The class fell quiet as they each pondered how to answer the question.

"Lust and love look the same on the outside," Naruto continued, "However, they are both two different things. As your assignment, I want you to compare and contrast the two. Write up a paper. Let's have the rough drafts due in…two weeks?"

The class nodded and students pulled out their planners to jot the assignment down. Naruto smiled kindly at his undergraduate class, and waved goodbye as they all walked out the door heading for their next class. The English professor spotted a mop of red hair amongst his sea of students exiting. His smile widened as he locked eyes with two green emeralds.

"Gaara," Naruto grabbed his orange backpack. He winced slightly when the redhead shook his head at him.

"I know," he sighed, "But I love this thing." Naruto hitched the bag on his shoulder and met Gaara in the hall.

"Blue and Orange are highly unflattering when brought together," Gaara spoke, "For a gay man, you certainly do not follow the customs."

Naruto growled, "I'm not gay, and I take offense to that, Gaara."

"I did not mean for my words to offend you," Gaara spoke slowly and turned to look at his friend, "I would like you whether you were gay, bisexual, into bestiality or-"

"Thanks, Gaara," Naruto cut him off before his friend dug himself too far into a hole he'd find hard climbing out of.

Gaara nodded, "You also shouldn't be throwing sleep away."

Naruto flinched, "You too, huh."

"Hm."

Tenten sneaked out of the girl's bathroom and watched as Gaara led Naruto to the elevators. She smirked, bringing the walkie-talkie to her mouth, "Apple has the Orange. I repeat, Apple has the Orange and they are walking inside the elevator."

"…Chip and Dale, take your positions," Tenten heard Shikamaru's voice say.

"We're on it," Kotetsu and Izumo replied.

Naruto leaned against the elevator door while Gaara pressed the elevator button. The blonde frowned when he saw what button his friend had pressed, "We're not going to the staff lounge?"

"We will, but first, I have to get something from Gai."

"Okay then," Naruto shrugged. He didn't venture down into the lower floors of the Health and Science building. In fact, he'd probably only been down there once, and that was only because of the tour he had taken after getting his teaching position. He had little to do with the music department. Most of his friends worked on the upper floors, and those who taught the actual lab courses worked in the building directly connected to his. The elevator opened and the two of them stepped out.

"You could wait in the hall," Gaara said as he began walking towards Gai's office, "That way, you don't have to dodge the green beast of burden."

Naruto smiled sheepishly, "Thanks. I'd rather not get crushed into a bone breaking hug while listening to the man ramble about the spring of youth."

"I thought as much," Gaara's lip turned up into a small smile, "I'll just be a few minutes."

"Take your time," Naruto said and leaned against the wall, intent on waiting there until Gaara came back.

As soon as Gaara stepped inside the Head of the Music Department's office, he was glomped by the man in green clothing. Gaara kicked the door closed, "Get off me before I slit your throat," he hissed.

"Ah," Gai let go of his captive, "The threats of youth! Emotions bubbling inside, waiting for a chance to lay claim to fast beating hearts!"

"You sicken me," Gaara said disgusted as he pulled out his walkie-talkie, "This is Gaara. Naruto is in position."

"…Good work. Kotetsu, Izumo, make sure no one goes down to the lower floors, understand?" Shikamaru's voice said.

"Got it," Izumo said.

Naruto rested with his back against the wall as he waited for Gaara to finish up with Gai. He looked at his watch and sighed. At least he still had nearly an hour before his next class with Konohamaru, and after that was lunch. His mouth began to water at the thought of today's lunch special; fried rice with pork dumplings, simply scrumptious. Naruto swallowed, he could almost taste the mouth-watering dumpling. He could imagine the tender juices running down his chin as he bit into the heavenly epitome of deliciousness. The sound of a violin jolted him out of his fantasy.

Naruto straightened and tried to find what door the sound had come from.

Then he heard it again.

It sounded like someone was trying to tune their instrument. The blonde professor leaned back against the wall again. He listened as the person adjusted the pitch, tightening the strings of the violin when they deemed it necessary.

It didn't take long before the person began to play.

And when they did, Naruto's mouth opened wide in amazement.

He had never heard anything so beautiful in his entire life. The melody was enchanting, like a lullaby, soft and soothing, played with the utmost care. Naruto didn't even notice how he moved from his spot and walked towards the door from where the melody was coming from. His hand came to clasp the doorknob, and without thinking, he pushed the door open. What he saw inside made his eyes widen further in shock.

There stood Sasuke Uchiha holding a violin to his chin. His right hand held a bow in the gentlest manner as he moved it across the strings of the violin. The raven-haired man didn't even notice the intrusion. He was completely lost in the melody he was producing. Naruto watched in fascination as Sasuke's fingers moved across the neck of the violin.

Sasuke's face held a relaxed expression as he played with his eyes closed. A small smile had appeared on the Uchiha's face.

The man was unmasked, completely lost within the captivating music. Naruto watched awestruck as Sasuke moved his arm gracefully, producing a heavenly sound as his bow touched the four strings of the violin.

Graceful.

_Like a swan, _Naruto thought as he continued to watch the man play. Sasuke's head tilted as he came closer to the end of the piece, he lifted his bow for the last measure and gently brought it back down. The last note resonated through the room, bringing the melody to its end. Ebony eyes opened and the emotionless mask was set back into place. The Uchiha looked up when he heard a noise. His eyes landed on the blonde English professor.

"What are you doing here?" He asked coldly.

"That was very beautiful," Naruto said quietly, "I've never heard anything like it."

"Ave Maria is supposed to sound like that, when played correctly."

"I-I"

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke repeated.

Naruto shook his head, "I'm sorry. I was waiting for Gaara in the hall and I heard someone playing. I didn't know you played."

"I do not play for audiences," Sasuke said stiffly, "Please leave."

"Why not? You're very good."

"Leave, dobe."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" A tinge of anger evident in his voice, "What's your problem?"

"You are my problem."

"Fuck you, I'm out of here," Naruto glared and turned towards the door, "I don't care if your playing is cathartic. Your personality ruins everything."

"Hn."

Naruto froze. His hand trembled over the brass knob, "Don't you fucking grunt at me, Uchiha."

Sasuke laid his violin down into its case, "Why not? Words aren't meant to be wasted on losers."

Naruto turned so fast you would have thought something bit him, "Say that again, bastard!"

"You are not worth my time."

That was the last straw. The blonde charged at the already tensed raven. With a shout, the blonde's fist connected with the soft belly. Sasuke staggered back bent over as he clenched his stomach. He cursed when he realized he couldn't hit the blonde back. Damn that Neji. Sasuke blocked another punch hurled at him and sidestepped a kick aimed at his shin. He pushed Naruto away from himself and took up a defensive pose.

"Ha, you to scared to attack me?" Naruto scoffed.

"Not worth exerting myself," Sasuke answered, riling up the blonde even more.

"You fucker," Naruto lunged at the waiting Uchiha. Sasuke grabbed both of Naruto's arms and pinned the squirming blonde down on the floor. Naruto bucked in an attempt to dislodge the older man. However, Sasuke stayed atop him, the signature smirk already in place.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Naruto spat angrily.

"You are beneath me, even when we fight."

"Bastard," Naruto hissed as he tried bucking again. However, it was no use. His legs were locked beneath the raven haired man's weight.

Sasuke brought his head down to whisper in Naruto's ear, "You are a loser. A nobody. An insignificant presence."

"Shut up!"

"You will never best me. I will always surpass you in everything you do. I am superior to you in every sense of the word. You. Are. Nothing." Naruto trembled as Sasuke's voice tickled his ear.

"I am not nothing!" He shot back.

"Hn."

Naruto growled and then did something that made the raven's eye widen. The blonde bit the tender pale skin of Sasuke's neck, right at the juncture. Sasuke released Naruto's hands and pushed Naruto's head away.

"What the hell was that?" Sasuke rubbed his neck at the spot where Naruto had bitten him. The electric jolt his body had felt moments ago, now receding.

"Get off me," Naruto growled, his eyes had darkened as he stared angrily at the Uchiha atop of him. The blonde gave one hard push to Sasuke's chest and sat up, "I am someone."

"You bit me!"

"And I'll do it again."

Sasuke felt the jolt again, "I will not give you the opportunity to do so," Sasuke replied.

"Whatever, Uchiha." Naruto turned and headed for the door, "I'm just as good as you, if not better." Naruto opened the door and walked out, leaving Sasuke alone in the music room to stare at the spot the blonde has just been occupying. He rubbed at his neck, the tingling feeling had yet to go away.

Naruto stormed out of the room to find Gaara waiting for him in the hall. The redhead crossed his arms as he looked pointedly at the fuming blonde, "What happened?"

"Bastard happened," Naruto growled, "Let's go. I want to be as far away from that ass as physically possible." Gaara nodded and the two walked to the elevators. By the time they reached the staff lounge, Naruto had calmed down. A smile was plastered on his face when he saw Kiba and Shino locked in a thumb-wrestling tournament.

"Did anyone pick up some malt balls?" Gaara said.

All activity within the lounge stopped.

"No," Temari said.

"Were the Carrot and Tomato in the salad?" Shino said.

"Yes," Gaara sighed, "However, the tomato was a rotten piece of shit."

"What?" Naruto looked oddly at Gaara, "They sell rotten tomatoes? Don't they check these things in the cafeteria?"

"What happened exactly?" Kiba asked.

"The tomato didn't play nice with the carrot. I didn't hear much through the bowl but, what I did hear means we're back at the salad bar, with an empty plate in our hands."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto asked. He wasn't understanding anything coming out of Gaara's mouth. However, everyone else seemed to get it.

"Damn that tomato!" Kiba yelled.

"You guys are really starting to worry me," Naruto said, "Just get another damn tomato and start speaking human again! Quit it with all this mumbo jumbo…you're making me feel stupid for not getting it!"

"Sorry, Naruto." Temari grinned, "Do you want a cup of coffee? I just started a new brew."

"No," Naruto shook his head, "I just want the weekend to get here."

"Don't we all," Temari joked.

:::

The rest of Naruto's day went by in the normal fashion.

As usual, Naruto smuggled his stepbrother and friends into the staff lounge for some free grub, got scolded by Neji, watched Sakura beat on Kiba, and avoided the bastard.

He had asked Sakura if she could stop by tomorrow after classes to cook some food for them. She agreed. So after giving his graduate class the midterm (and running out of the class before Fuka could molest him again), he met up with Sakura and the two of them drove to the grocery store.

Naruto obediently pushed the cart behind his friend as Sakura tossed in all sorts of vegetables and fruits into the metal cart. They got their assorted meat cuts, fish fillets, and other seafood, along with a bunch of dry ingredients. Naruto made sure that Sakura tossed in enough instant ramen cups. She had given him a scalding look but nonetheless, made sure to deposit at least a dozen ramen cups of assorted flavors into the cart.

"There's your heart attack in a cup," she said stiffly.

"Love you too," Naruto joked.

They then proceeded to the cashier, who greeted them warmly and made their check out experience quite satisfactory. By the time they arrived at Naruto's place, Kiba and Shikamaru were already home. Kiba lay on the couch, eyes glued to the TV. When he saw Sakura enter he frowned, "Damn it."

The rosette grinned evilly and ran to the TV, turning it off.

"Get the music," she ordered.

Naruto spotted Akamaru walking lazily out of Kiba's room. As soon as the dog caught a whiff of Sakura's scent, his tail quivered between his legs. The white mastiff ran as fast as he could back into Kiba's room and tucked himself safely under the bed.

"Please, Sakura," Kiba shifted in his seat, "Can we just get the food without doing that stupid dance?"

"No," she responded sternly, "No dancing, no food."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he stepped out of his room.

"Let's just do it fast," Naruto went to grab the dreaded CD out of his room, "If we get it over with now, we won't have to do it later."

"We can't do it fast," Shikamaru said darkly, "The damned song is three minutes long."

"Go get the song, Naruto," Sakura smiled evilly. The three friends waited for Naruto to come out of his room with the damned CD. A minute or so later, Naruto reappeared holding a clear case with the disc inside it, and a player for the CD.

"Fuck," Kiba grumbled as he stood up.

Sakura went to make herself comfortable on the couch as the three boys organized themselves in a straight line before her. When they were ready, Sakura hit the play button, "Now give me some of that Caramelldansen."

"This is so embarrassing," Kiba grumbled as the song began to play.

"No talking!" Sakura snapped, "Start dancing!"

The boys brought their hands up to their heads and began to swing their hips in time to the music, hands moving accordingly. Kiba tried to keep the smile on his face, however he couldn't mask the desire to rip Sakura's throat out of his eyes. Naruto's smile didn't waver as he swung his hips back and forth, his eyes shut tight so the embarrassment wouldn't be evident in his eyes. The blush on his face however, defeated the purpose. Shikamaru had a bored look on his face as his palms opened and closed. He couldn't quite bring himself to smile, so the grimace had to do.

Sakura watched them gleefully as they danced in front of her. They looked so adorable! Especially Naruto, who was dancing between the two darker haired boys; his cheeks were deliciously flushed, "Oh, I simply love this!" She squealed in delight.

The song came to an end.

The three boys quickly dropped their hands and stared angrily at the smirking, green eyes she-devil.

"Kitchen, now." Kiba barked.

"Alright, alright," Sakura stood up and stretched her limbs.

"Remember, you can't tell anyone," Naruto squeaked, "You promised."

"I know," Sakura smiled, "I promised, didn't I?"

"Hn," Shikamaru grunted as he turned the TV back on.

"Naruto," Sakura caught the apron Kiba threw at her, "Can you help me? I'll have dinner done faster if you do."

The blonde nodded his head. He went inside his room to change before joining Sakura in the kitchen. Dinner was ready by seven o'clock. Naruto looked triumphantly at the vegetables he had cut up for the salad. He had deposited them into the wooden salad bowl as Sakura pulled the roasted chicken out of the oven.

"Feed me," Kiba peered over the counter, his mouth watering at the sight.

"Down, Kiba," Sakura joked as she put the roast on the counter.

"Can I have a little nibble?" Kiba begged as he inched closer to the roast.

"Shikamaru!" Sakura bellowed.

The lazy man groaned as he stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed Kiba by the scruff of the neck and pulled him out of the kitchen, "This is such a drag," he muttered as the overgrown child in his grip wailed.

A good ten minutes later, the food was sitting on the table waiting to be eaten. Kiba wasted no time in grabbing the steaming bowl of rice and depositing a hefty amount on his plate. Naruto was busily devouring the delicious pink jumbo shrimp Sakura had prepared, while at the same time stuffing his mouth with the brown rice Sakura insisted on buying. Shikamaru heartily tucked into his meal, all lazy tendencies gone when faced with the steaming plate of marinated morsels. Sakura watched the boys vigorously shove food in their mouths, a satisfied look on her face. It made her happy to see that they enjoyed her cooking so much. She picked up a sliced cucumber Naruto had cut up and put it in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

When the boys were finished with their meal, they all leaned heavily against the backs of their chairs. Content expressions could easily be found on the three round faces. The sound of thunder however, had Shikamaru opening one lazy eye.

"It's going to rain hard tonight," he said.

"So?" Kiba slouched further into his seat, "Why the fuck do I care if it's going to rain?"

"Who's going to take Sakura home?" The psychology professor pointed out.

"Do you mind sleeping here, Sakura?" Naruto asked.

Sakura looked out the window. The wind had picked up, making the top branches of nearby trees bend over. It had yet to start raining, but Sakura knew that when it did, it was going to come down in sheets.

"I guess I'll stay," she resigned, "But I'm sleeping with you, Naruto."

"Alright," the blonde stood, "I'll get you some clothes to change into. Do you want to shower now?"

Sakura nodded, then turned her head to look at Kiba, "Peep at me, and I will be the last thing your retinas ever process."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kiba growled, "Who would want to look at you anyway."

Naruto went to get an icepack for Kiba's face as Sakura made her way towards the bathroom.

It was close to eleven when Naruto decided it was time for him to get some sleep. Sakura stood from the couch, Naruto's t-shirt doing wonder's on revealing a slender shoulder and thighs. Kiba and Shikamaru tried not to stare as they watched Sakura follow the blonde into the bedroom. The two watched the TV screen for sometime before Kiba decided to break the silence, "You sure Sasuke is the one Naruto wants? Because from the look of things, Sakura and Naruto look pretty cozy."

"I'm sure," Shikamaru stated. He put his hand into his pant pocket and pulled out a pair of earplugs, "You might need these."

Kiba furrowed his brow, "Why?"

"Because those two are going to have sex," Shikamaru watched the man on TV rush onto the train.

"What? How the hell do you know that?" Kiba flailed, "Naruto's gay!"

"Psychology professor," Shikamaru turned his head to look at Kiba, "And he's bi."

"But how can he sleep with her if he loves him?" Kiba pointed out.

"Take the damned earplugs and let me watch my program in peace."

"Fine," Kiba stood, "I'm going to bed." He grabbed the earplugs and walked into his room, throwing Shikamaru's present on the floor.

Sakura curled into Naruto's warmth as his arms encircled her. Naruto closed his eyes, intent on going to sleep, but Sakura had other things in mind. Her slender hand trailed down the toned muscle until it reached the top of Naruto's pajama bottoms. Her hand travelled over the fabric, caressing the blonde's thigh as she pressed her lips to the soft skin of Naruto's neck. The blonde opened his eyes and looked at her questioningly, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Sakura placed a kiss on his scarred cheek, "I'm kissing you."

Naruto gasped as Sakura's hand made its way inside his pants and brushed against his inner thigh.

"S-Sakura," he tried to pull away but Sakura sat up and quickly straddled him, trapping him beneath her, "Last time we did this-"

"We're best friends," Sakura interjected, "I want to make you feel good. You've had a rough week, let me take care of you."

"Sakura," Naruto held her back, "You cried last time. After I told you I liked men, you made me sleep with you. You cried when I-"

"This is different," she stated, "I don't care if you prefer men over women. You still get pleasure from both, am I right? So please, Naruto, let me. Unless you're in love with someone else…"

"I'm not."

"Then why not?"

"I don't want to hurt you. I love you," Naruto pleaded.

"And I love you, so why not?"

"I don't want to use you, Sakura!" Naruto looked away.

"But you're not using me," she looked at him confused, "I instigated this."

"When we get married-"

"Naruto," Sakura cut him off, "You know we're not going to get married."

"Why?" he said angrily, "Just because I like men too? You think I won't take care of you, Sakura? I made you a promise! I said I'd marry you!"

_But you're in love with someone else,_ she thought,_ and not just anyone else, Sasuke. You won't marry me…no matter what you say…I know… _

"Then make love to me," she said, "Prove that you will keep this promise."

"Fine," Naruto flipped them over and got on top of the emerald eyed beauty, "I will." He leaned in and kissed Sakura's rosy lips. She parted them, giving Naruto entrance inside her.

Kiba winced as his wall vibrated. He really needed to move his bed away from the wall separating his and Naruto's room. He heard Sakura moan and growled. He slid out from underneath his covers and went in search of the earplugs Shikamaru had given him.

"Damn you, Shikamaru," Kiba searched his floor looking desperately for the earplugs, "I hate it when you're right."

:::

Sasuke stood in front of his bathroom mirror looking at the spot where Naruto had bitten him the other day. The teeth marks had disappeared, but the feeling hadn't. When he closed his eyes, he could feel the hot breath against his neck, the heat of Naruto's mouth coming down on his neck. Sasuke shivered as he replayed the feeling over and over again.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, "What am I doing?" he asked his reflection.

The blonde had steered clear of him after that music incident. Looking back, he did say some very harsh things. Naruto had not deserved any of it. He had simply caught the Uchiha off guard, and Sasuke had immediately gone on the defensive. He never played for anyone, and Naruto hearing him…it just shook the Uchiha.

"Damn it," he mumbled.

Why was this bothering him so much?

Because he was wrong.

Sasuke Uchiha had been wrong.

No one deserved to be treated that way when they had done nothing wrong.

Naruto had even complimented him, and what did Sasuke do? He spat back into the man's face. Not only that, but he trampled over him like an outdoor mat.

He stared at his reflection, "I did a disgusting thing," he admitted.

However, apologizing wasn't something he was good at. In fact, he didn't know if he could swallow his pride and even bring himself to apologize to the blonde. He sighed and left the bathroom.

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**Well, that's chapter three! Hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**If you wanna hear the song Sasuke was playing here's the link, just remove the spaces! **http : / www. youtube. Com / watch?v= xm5zFR1ro2Y

**If you don't know caramelldansen here's the link to it: **http : / www. youtube. Com/ watch?v= A67ZkAd1wmI

**Now, a word from our abusive Anatomy Professor…Sakura!**

"**Hey, everyone!" Sakura waves, "If you hate on me, I'll find you and kill you." She smiles sweetly, "Trust me," her eyes burst with flame, "I will find you." Sakura turns to look at the tied up hostages in the room.**

"**Now, leave a review or you'll end up like my friends over here," she points to crying hostages tied up with rope…lots of rope.**

"**There, can I go now?" Sakura looks at the author, an evil gleam in her eye.**

**Author swallows hard and nods her head, "Wonderful. See you later," Sakura wave's goodbye at the trembling author while dragging her hostages out of the room. **

**Favs and Reviews?**

**Review=Me Ecstatic **

**-Smartcat**


	4. Psych

**1/31/11-**

**OMG! DID EVERYONE SEE THE SHIPPUDEN EPISODE 194? SASUNARU KISS, AGAIN! I JUST SAW IT NOW AND I'M FUCKING ECSTATIC! THERE ARE CLIPS ON YOUTUBE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVEN'T SEEN IT! GO WATCH IT! WATCH IT NOW! AHHHHHHHH! BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER!**

**

* * *

**

**Hello again! **

**I would like to thank you all again for being such great readers. I'm so glad that there are so many of you who follow this story. Really, it makes me happy. As a show of my appreciation, I will select one reviewer to be the recipient of a gift fic. They will be able to choose anything they want! I will post who the lucky reviewer is in the next chapter!**

**-Also, I noticed that no one picked up on the clue I left in the last chapter. No one noticed the clue in the first chapter either *sighs* Oh well. The clues were very subtle.**

**Random Info: **

**My birthday is on Monday! I'm turning fucking twenty! Gah, how the hell did that happen?**

**Okay, now on with the story!**

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Chapter 4: Psych

Sakura opened one bleary eye as she shifted in bed. An arm around her tightened slightly. She smiled lightly as she came back to full consciousness; last night's activities still fresh in her mind. Carefully, she sat up, making sure not to wake Naruto. The blonde was a heavy sleeper, but Sakura didn't want to disturb Naruto's serene expression.

She watched him for a few minutes, noting how locks of his golden, yellow hair framed his face perfectly. A few tendrils were resting over his closed eyes. His mouth lay slightly open giving him such an innocent look that Sakura couldn't help but blush. Naruto was her angel. If it hadn't been for him, she would have probably never lived this long.

She gently stood from the mattress and approached the chair with her clothes. Naruto had folded them when she was in the shower, so they were looking fresh and wrinkle free. Quickly, she dressed herself and made her way out of the bedroom. She had to get back home and change before going out to the charity event that Ino had asked her to oversee. Naturally, Sakura had dragged Sasuke into it, claiming that he owed her for last time. The raven-haired man had given her one of his signature glares before relenting and telling her he would meet her there.

Sakura had almost reached the door when a grunt stopped her in her tracks. Slowly, she turned her head around.

"Good morning, Shikamaru," she said lightly.

"Maybe for you," the lazy man said darkly, "Thanks for screwing everything up."

"I didn't screw anything up," she said defensively.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really? I think having sex with Naruto was a major blow to our plan."

"It's not-"

"Not to mention," Shikamaru cut her off, "That now, Naruto's going to wake up and be all perplexed again. He is going to sit at that damned piano, play some sad, disheartening classical music while he thinks things through. Kiba is going to get all depressed and start throwing furniture at me, leaving me in a sour ass mood. All your fault. We don't need Naruto thinking about his promise to you."

"It wasn't my intention," Sakura glared, "What's wrong with just having some sex? He and I are cool about it."

"No," Shikamaru said dryly, "You're cool about it. He's not."

"Naruto hasn't played that piano in ages," Sakura bit her lip, "I think you're overanalyzing this."

"I'm not."

"I know Naruto," Sakura continued, "He won't think much about it. He will wake up, remember we had sex then go stuff his face with some pancakes. After that, he and Kiba will come up with some stupid idea and get Lee involved. It will probably end with one of them getting hurt, and another hospital visit. Please, I know my boy." Sakura turned and opened the door, "I'll see you Monday, Shikamaru." With that said, she closed the door.

Shikamaru stood in the hallway, his cup of coffee at his lips, "This is such a drag," he grumbled before taking a sip.

Naruto woke to the sun beating in his face. He grumbled and rolled over, trying to ignore the light flooding into his room. A crash from behind his bedroom door made Naruto cringe.

"Akamaru, you stop that right now!" Kiba's voice rang loudly.

Naruto turned towards the door and opened two glowing sapphire eyes. He pulled the blankets around him closer as he mumbled some choice words. Gradually, his mind became less hazy from sleep and the events of last night flooded his brain. The blonde frowned and pulled off the covers. He stepped out of bed and looked down at himself.

He had done it again. Naruto slapped his hand to his forehead and sucked in his cheeks. He looked around the room, and noticed that Sakura's clothes had disappeared from the chair he put them on last night._ So she already left, huh._

Naruto felt disgusted with himself. Angrily, he reached for a t-shirt and pulled it on over his head. What kind of friend was he? Again! Again, he let himself use one of his best friends! Sakura didn't know any better, she was probably drunk from the sake they had with their meal last night. Naruto threw his door open and marched towards the bathroom, ignoring the worried looks exchanged between his two roommates.

Kiba sighed when the bathroom door shut with a bang. Akamaru rubbed his wet nose against his owner's dark grey sweatpants comfortingly. Kiba smiled down at his dog and rubbed the top of Akamaru's furry head.

"What's for breakfast?" Kiba asked Shikamaru, who was sitting on the couch chewing on a straw.

"Pancakes," the younger man replied, spitting the bendy plastic out of his mouth.

"Sakura made us pancakes? Awesome!"

"Yeah," Shikamaru mumbled, "I'm defrosting them. She made like fifty."

"Even better!" Kiba flashed a toothy grin, his sharpened canines reflecting in the morning light.

"Listen, Kiba," Shikamaru suddenly said, his tone of voice going serious, "I need you to get Naruto out of the apartment for today. I'm going to call an emergency meeting here at three. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," Kiba shrugged, "No problem. I'll get Lee to help too. What's the meeting about?"

"It's about the upcoming rally. Neji was put in charge of running it, remember?"

"Yeah," Kiba said, "So?"

"I have an idea of how we can use this rally to our advantage," Shikamaru said simply, "I'll fill you in when all the details are in place."

"Isn't the rally in a week?" Kiba scratched his head.

"Yes," Shikamaru said, "But we're going to need time to prepare. Kiba, just leave it to me. All you got to do is get Naruto out of here and keep him out till roughly six o'clock, alright?"

"Sure, whatever," Kiba grumbled.

After Naruto had gotten out of the bathroom, the three boys sat down to breakfast. The meal was unusually quiet, as Naruto simply stared down at his plate. Kiba gobbled one pancake after another, licking his plate clean. When the wild haired man was done, he looked over at his blonde friend.

"Hey, buddy," he poked Naruto in the shoulder, "One of those isn't going to fill you up. Eat the pancakes. You know you want to."

Naruto smiled wanly at his friend, "I'm not very hungry."

"You not hungry?" Kiba scowled, "Well, isn't that the biggest load of crap I've ever heard."

"Shove it," Naruto grumbled darkly, "I'm not in the mood."

Shikamaru looked up at the ceiling crossly. He wished for once, that Sakura could have been right instead of him.

Barely twenty minutes had passed before Naruto had situated himself on the piano bench. The blonde cracked his fingers and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and started to play. The sound of Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata echoed throughout the apartment. The deep resonating notes grew more desperate as Naruto lost himself completely in the heart clenching melody.

Shikamaru watched as Naruto's fingers moved expertly over the white keys of their small piano. After Choji had moved out, the three of them decided to turn their friend's room into a sort of den. They had moved the piano from the living room into Choji's vacant room, hoping that whenever Naruto had the sudden urge to play, they could shut him in the room to deafen the sound. However, the flimsy door did nearly nothing as the bone chilling music traveled through the walls. Shikamaru stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. He leaned heavily against the door hinge, trying to figure out how long this dreary melody was going to last.

Naruto looked completely engrossed in it, and Shikamaru sighed. It looked like the blonde was going to be going at it for a while. Shikamaru straightened up and made his way towards the living room. He plopped down on the couch and took his signature position. Hands folded behind his head, one knee slightly bent and eyes focused on the view of the sky from the large window.

Shikamaru maintained this position for a good hour or so before Kiba flung a tennis shoe at his face. The lazy man angrily rubbed his nose as the pain flared through his face.

"Make him stop!" Kiba roared, his hands covering his ears.

"You know I can't," Shikamaru sat up and took a more defensive position.

"Yes, you can!"Kiba grabbed a bowl full of marbles and began firing the glass spheres at Shikamaru's pointy, ponytailed head.

"Stop that," Shikamaru dodged as he took cover behind the side of the couch, "There's nothing I can do about it!"

"Tell him to stop!" Kiba threw the whole bowl and went to grab some more projectiles from the CD case.

"Why don't you?" Shikamaru ducked as a CD came hurling at him.

"I can't," Kiba huffed, "I'd feel bad."

"So would I," Shikamaru hurled himself behind the armchair as Kiba went to restock on his arsenal.

"You have to do it," Kiba sent a set of dominoes at Shikamaru's rear end. The boy winced and rubbed his backside, cursing Kiba and his inability to cope with his emotions like normal people. He liked Naruto's coping mechanism better. It didn't involve any violence against him.

"He'll stop soon," Shikamaru attempted to say.

"He needs to stop now!"

"You go stop him!"

"No! You stop him!"  
"No!"

"Shika, I'm going to throw the kitchen chair at you if you don't get him to stop right now!"

Shikamaru dodged the chair and watched as it smashed against the wall. Why did he always find himself in such troublesome situations?

"You're overreacting, Kiba!" Shikamaru yelled as he dodged a wooden spatula.

"I'm being a good friend!" Kiba yelled back.

"By trying to kill me?"

"No, by trying to get you to stop Naruto's wallowing!"

"Why don't you get someone else to stop him?" Shikamaru said after hightailing it into the safety of the bathroom. He locked the door and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Who should I ask?"

"How about Lee?"Shikamaru said through the door, "Give him a call. You guys could take Naruto out early. Keep him away for a good couple of hours."

Kiba was silent for some time. All Shikamaru was able to hear was the depressing melody Naruto was performing.

"Okay," he heard Kiba say. Shikamaru nodded to himself and opened the door. He watched as Kiba flipped open his cell phone and held it to his ear.

"Hey, Lee! Yeah, it's Kiba. Listen, I need you to help us out…"

:::

Sasuke grudgingly walked onto the campus grounds. He stifled a yawn as he approached a heavily decorated booth. Sakura was already buzzing around it with a clipboard in her hand. As soon as she spotted Sasuke, she waved him over.

"Sasuke!" she smirked up at him, "I need you to grab a clipboard and make your way to the parking lot. You're going to be supervising the car wash."

The raven-haired professor glowered, but took the clipboard anyway and was about to leave when Sakura handed him a towel and some cleaning equipment.

"What's this?"

"It's for you," she grinned, "You're going to be participating in the car wash as well."

"You never told me that," Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, "And why are you so damn happy today?"

Sakura giggled and began pushing Sasuke towards the parking lot, "It's a secret," she said in a sing-song voice. Now, Sasuke had known Sakura nearly his whole entire life. There were only a few things in this world, which could make this girl incredibly chipper.

"Did Ino gain weight?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Sakura sighed, "She's still five pounds lighter than me…that pig."

"You had sex?"

Sakura blushed and pushed Sasuke harder towards his destination. The Uchiha smirked, "So you had sex. Anyone that I know?"

"Naruto," Sakura bit her lip nervously.

"Naruto?" Sasuke stopped walking and turned to look at the shifty eyed rosette, "You slept with Uzumaki?" he said angrily.

"Don't give me that tone of voice, Sasuke," Sakura said stiffly, "I can sleep with whomever the hell I want."

"Whatever," he huffed, "I don't even know how you stand that idiot."

"He's my friend," Sakura warned, "Don't you go bad mouthing him in front of me."

"You don't sleep with your friends," Sasuke said.

"It's complicated."

"No, it's not."

"This is none of your business, Sasuke," Sakura warned, "Drop it. I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine," Sasuke turned and continued towards the parking lot alone. Sakura watched him disappear behind a hedge and sighed, her hand coming to fist itself in a lock of pink hair.

"He'll be fine," she tried to reassure herself, "Naruto's always fine."

Sasuke reached the parking lot and dropped his bucket by the curb. There were already over a dozen students sitting on the grass waiting for him to give them instructions. A line of cars was already waiting. The Uchiha rubbed his forehead, trying to massage away the impeding headache that almost always made itself known after talking about a certain blonde idiot.

"Grab your rags and cleaners," Sasuke said after he approached the group, "Do a good job. Don't dawdle. This is not for fun. This is for a cause. Go."

The college students mumbled amongst themselves as they stood up from the ground. A brown haired boy marched over to Sasuke and gave him a pitiful look, "That's not a very good pep talk, professor."

Sasuke glared at the annoying student, "I don't care. Go wash the cars."

Konohamaru stiffened, "You're supposed to be washing too. Sakura told me to make sure you helped, and believe me…there's nothing I would like less than having Sakura pound me into the ground for letting you off the hook. I value my sanity, thank you very much," Konohamaru threw his rag at Sasuke, "Start cleaning, Sasuke."

Sasuke's glare intensified as he watched the brat turn around and run back to his two friends. He would make sure to get that little prick back one day. What was that kid again, a med major? If so, Sasuke was going to make sure that the little bastard had Orochimaru for Organic Chemistry next semester. He'd like nothing better than to see that brat suffer. Seeing Naruto angry was just an added bonus. Satisfied with himself, Sasuke trudged towards the line of cars.

:::

"This is going to be great, Naruto!" Lee exclaimed as he rushed up the three steps leading towards the small shop. Kiba peered through the glass window and smirked when his eyes landed on the large crystal ball sitting in the middle of a large, plush-looking red pillow.

"You know these guys are all charlatans, right?" Naruto said after reading the sign that said 'Psychic' in big, black curvy letters.

"You never know, Naruto," Kiba grinned, "Who are we to know if they really can do what they say?"

Naruto shrugged, "Doesn't matter to me."

"Stop being such a whiny bitch, Naruto," Kiba growled. Naruto had yet to revert to his good-natured self, and Kiba did not like it one bit, "Grow a pair."

"Shut up," Naruto scowled, "I have two wonderfully sized balls dangling below. You should know."

"Che, whatever," Kiba scoffed as Lee pulled open the door. A tingling of bells sounded and the brown haired boy grinned evilly, "Ooh! Spirits of the dead!" he joked.

Naruto rolled his eyes and followed Lee into a dimly lit room. The walls were all painted a dull lavender shade and an assortment of pillows littered the ground. Weird paintings canvassed the walls and Naruto nearly bumped into a knee-high elephant sculpture. The room reeked of incense and Kiba clamped a hand over his nose as he walked deeper into the room. Naruto jerked Kiba's hand away and gave him an 'are-you-fucking-serious' look. It wasn't polite to hold one's nose, no matter how awful it smelled in there.

"Welcome, welcome!" A melodramatic voice sang. Naruto's head turned to the side in time to spot a weird looking woman walk through a beaded doorway. The blonde forced himself to refrain from bursting out in laughter. This woman did nothing to help stereotypes. She was dressed in flowing robes of many exotic colors. In her hair was a peacock feather along with a bunch of clips and ribbons. Hundreds of clinking bracelets adorned her wrists and that eyeliner she was sporting made Naruto think of Gaara for some odd reason.

"Welcome," the woman said again, "My name is Luminita, how can I be of service?" the black haired woman sat down on one of the pillows on the floor.

"We would like our fortunes told," Kiba said hastily. He plopped down on one of the pillows beside the unusual woman.

"Ah," Luminita smiled, her emerald eyes glowing mischievously, "Can I interest you in some candy?" The psychic woman stretched out her arm to retrieve a bowl of mints from her small table.

"Do you happen to have any malt balls?" Lee asked, "I seem to have a craving for them recently."

The woman paused and stared at Lee for a good minute before smiling at him graciously, "No, I do not."

"Well, that's okay," Lee smiled and took a seat beside Kiba, "May I go first?"

"Of course you may," Luminita said. Her eyes shifted from Lee's bright green sweatshirt to Naruto, who was now the only one standing. "Would you care to have a seat?"

The blonde sighed and took a seat between Kiba and Lee. This was going to be stupid.

:::

Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut as the water splashed into his face. Konohamaru grabbed the hose before it could soak Sasuke any further. The Uchiha opened two blazing coal black eyes and grit his teeth, wondering how long this torture was going to last. Moegi and Udon stepped towards the back of the car they had been washing, just as a precaution. Konohamaru picked up his green towel and handed it over to the fuming professor. Sasuke took it and patted down his hair.

"I'll go get Sakura. See if she has any spare t-shirts," Moegi said quickly before running towards the booth at the front of the school.

"Sorry about that, Sasuke," Konohamaru smiled nervously, "It slipped from my hands."

Sasuke threw the towel onto the wet floor and began tugging his soaked shirt off. Udon and Konohamaru exchanged looks.

"Lose your grip on the hose one more time, and it won't be the only thing you lose," Sasuke rung out his navy shirt and watched the water collect in a small puddle at his feet. The two sophomores swallowed loudly and began wiping the car windows with a newfound vigor.

Sasuke walked over to a bench nearby and stretched out his wet shirt up on the wooden planks.

"Sasuke," he heard Sakura call. The Uchiha turned around only to be glomped by the green-eyed slave driver, "Nice six-pack," she said after letting go of the ice prince.

"Hn."

"Oh, don't give me that," Sakura shook her finger at him, "I'm not Naruto." She handed him a plain white t-shirt and sat on the bench watching as Sasuke pulled it on.

"How much longer until my debt to you has been paid," Sasuke said, taking a seat beside his friend.

"Hmm," Sakura tapped her chin, "I say another hour or so."

"Fine," Sasuke attempted to stand but Sakura griped his arm. He looked at her questioningly, "What?"

"Can I talk to you for a bit," Sakura bit her lip nervously, hoping Sasuke would listen. The raven looked at her oddly before getting comfortable on the bench and giving her his full attention.

"I think I made a mistake," she said quietly.

"Is this about Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

She nodded, "You know how he made that promise in high school, after I was gang raped by the Sound soccer team?"

"So," Sasuke shrugged, "What about it?"

"Well," Sakura shifted in her seat, "I kind of reminded Naruto about the promise last night, before I made him sleep with me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this but remained silent.

"I thought, c'mon it was a stupid promise. I don't even want him to keep it, seeing as he doesn't even love me in that way. However, I think I really screwed things up…now that I had time to think. Sasuke," Sakura looked up at him now, her eyes filled with unshed tears, "I told him to show me that he would keep his promise. I made him do something he didn't want, when he's obviously in love with someone else! I'm a terrible friend and a horrible p-person!" Sakura stammered before the tears began to fall.

Sasuke sighed and comfortingly put his hand on her shoulder, "Sakura."

She looked up at him, her eyes already red.

"You did do a bad thing, but," Sasuke stood, "You still have time to fix it. Tell him you don't want him to marry you. You're fine now and not suicidal."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "If it weren't for him…I'd probably be dead right now," she mumbled between tears.

"Hey," Sasuke crouched before her, "Stop that. I don't like it when you wallow in self pity. It is cowardly. What would Naruto say if he saw you like this?"

Sakura laughed, "He'd probably tell me to get up and run to the furthest tree with him. Then, he'd take me for some ramen. He'd always said 'ramen soothes the soul,'" she joked.

"Yeah," Sasuke smirked, "That's sounds like the dobe."

"Why don't you two ever get along," Sakura asked, suddenly remembering Shikamaru's ninja operation.

Instantly, Sasuke's demeanor changed, "He annoys me."

"How?"

"I don't know," Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, "He just somehow gets under my skin and pushes my buttons. I hate it."

"That's exactly what he says about you," Sakura said slyly, "I wonder if it just might be that you two are attracted to each other an-"

"Impossible," Sasuke cut her off before Sakura could get another word in, "I am not attracted to that loser."

"Whatever," Sakura shrugged her shoulders and stood up, her eyes now dry, "Keep telling yourself that."

"Hn," Sasuke furrowed his brow before turning on his heel and heading back to the three stooges and the lathered car.

"Denial," Sakura said to herself as she watched Sasuke walk away. She grinned when Udon lost control of the hose and Sasuke flailed out of the way of the water. Sasuke yelled at the sniveling sophomore while Konohamaru began defending his friend.

:::

"Okay, Naruto!" Lee said excitedly, "It is now your turn!"

Naruto crawled over to the pillow on the floor in front of the crystal ball, and took a seat. Luminita smiled at him before stretching out her two hands. Kiba and Lee leaned in and watched with anticipation as Naruto put his hands into the waiting palms.

"Oh," Luminita started instantly as her eyes shut tight, "I see so many things!"

"What?" Kiba asked.

Naruto gave his friend an odd look. Kiba seemed to be more excited about Naruto's future than he was about his own.

"A man," she said mystically, "A man with black hair and hell black eyes. My, he is attractive."

Naruto watched Luminita as the expression on her face took on a thoughtful look. The grip on his hands tightened as the psychic began to shake. Naruto glanced at his two friends. They were completely concentrated on the overly dramatic psychic. Kiba's mouth was slightly open and Lee was fervently chewing off his nails, biting them down to the soft skin. His eyes were saucer-like and unblinking.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Luminita said suddenly, "He is a worthy man; tall, smart and handsome."

Naruto blinked. Did she just say Sasuke?

"What?" he said hesitantly.

"I see this man inside a large building…a school perhaps? He is writing something on a paper…a math teacher." Naruto gulped and scooted closer towards Luminita. How the hell was she doing that? They hadn't mentioned Sasuke at all!

"You two have a special relationship," Luminita continued mumbling, "Sasuke and you have known each other for a very long time…in fact, he even has a pet name for you, dobe."

Naruto's mouth dropped open.

"You and this man are destined," Luminita opened her eyes, but her focus was not on Naruto, but at the blank wall behind him, "You care for him, Naruto. He cares for you…I see now. Your feelings of hate are just a defense mechanism…he needs you."

Naruto gaped like a fish, unable to comprehend what was happening right before his eyes.

"In ten days, Sasuke Uchiha will kiss you and you will finally understand everything!" Luminita closed her eyes and then opened them quickly, blinking.

Naruto looked like he was going to keel over in his seat.

Kiba and lee were each sporting horrified expressions on their faces.

"Well," Luminita said standing up, "Thank you all for coming. One of you, please follow me to the back to make the payment."

Kiba, now angry, stood and started following Luminita towards the back. However, before he left the room, he signaled Lee to get Naruto out of the shop. Lee nodded and stood. He walked over to Naruto who had a dazed expression on his face.

"Naruto," Lee said, "Let's wait for Kiba outside, okay?"

The blonde nodded and shakily stood to his feet. Lee took hold of Naruto's shoulder and led him out of the shop.

Kiba stood angrily at the cash register, glaring at Luminita as she rang up their balance.

"What did you do?" he barked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I did what you told me," she said shrugging, "You said to make him doubt his relationship with this Sasuke fellow. Using the facts you gave me, I think I did a pretty good job."

"You said Sasuke was going to kiss him!" Kiba spat, "I never told you to do that on the phone!"

"It was an added bonus," she said brazenly, "What's wrong with it? You said Sasuke liked him, I don't think it would be so hard for him to kiss the boy."

"Sasuke doesn't know he likes Naruto!"

"That's not what you said," she said stiffly as she opened the cash register.

"It was implied!"

"No, it was not!" Luminita said, starting to sound angry, "You said Sasuke liked Naruto but he wasn't aware of his feelings or of Sasuke's feelings for him. You never told me Sasuke wasn't aware of his feelings either!"

"I said that BOTH Sasuke and Naruto DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS!" Kiba was now fuming, "You just fucked everything up! How am I supposed to get Sasuke to kiss Naruto? Those two can't get within a few feet without trying to bash each other's brains out! When Sasuke doesn't kiss Naruto, he'll know something is up!" Kiba began pacing, "Crap, Shikamaru is going to fucking kill me!"

"Well excuse me," she said icily, "You should have been clearer. Now, the total is one hundred and ten dollars."

"WHAT?"

"Sixty is for your reading and the black haired boy's reading. The fifty is for making me participate in this charade. Remember, I said it would cost you extra on the phone."

Kiba growled and reached for his wallet, all the while mumbling obscenities as he dug out his credit card.

A few minutes later, Kiba walked out of the little psychic shop only to find that Naruto was pacing back and forth across the sidewalk. He chanced a glance at Lee who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's go get something to eat," Kiba said after checking the time. They still had three hours to kill. The three friends began walking down the block to their parked car. After Kiba had pulled on his seatbelt, they drove towards a pizza place known for having the best cheese pizzas on the planet.

"This is crazy," Naruto said after biting into his cheesy slice, "I mean, how can she know that stuff? It's impossible, and on top of that, me and Sasuke? That's ridiculous! I don't secretly like that bastard!"

Kiba and Lee nodded, happy that Naruto had reverted to his old self.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Lee said after downing his root bear.

"Yeah," Naruto shrugged his shoulders and took another bite, "But there is no way Sasuke is going to kiss me. I'd punch his face if he ever got that close."

"I'm going to go take a leak," Kiba said suddenly, his chair scraping against the tiled floor as he stood.

Naruto looked at Lee when Kiba had disappeared from sight, "Is it just me, or is he acting strange?"

"It's just you," Lee said quickly and shoved his pizza into his mouth before Naruto could ask him any more questions. The blonde sighed, twirling the straw in his cup of coke. He didn't know why, but he was feeling a little anxious. What that psychic had said really unsettled him. He shook his head to clear it of the racing thoughts and took a sip of his coke.

Kiba gripped his cell phone tightly, listening to the ringing on the other line. He paced inside the bathroom, praying Shikamaru would for once pick up the house phone. After the seventh ring, Kiba finally heard a click.

"Hello?"

"Shikamaru!" Kiba nearly yelled into the phone.

"Kiba?" Shikamaru's voice asked questioningly.

"Yeah," Kiba answered hastily, "Listen, we have a real big problem."

"What else is new?" he head Shikamaru respond. Kiba heard some rustling before Shikamaru spoke again, "All right. You're on speaker. Everyone's here so just let it out."

"Okay," Kiba took a deep breath, "Lee and me took Naruto to see the psychic, remember I told you? Well, she screwed up. She said that Sasuke was going to kiss him in ten days!"

Kiba heard curses shouted through the phone, "That stupid psychic misinterpreted what I told her! She thought Sasuke knew about his fucking feelings and that it was only Naruto who was oblivious! And to top it all off, I had to fucking pay over a hundred dollars!"

"Damn it, Kiba!" Shikamaru said.

"That's the day of the rally," he heard Neji state.

"Hm," Kiba heard Shikamaru say, "Alright. Kiba, keep Naruto out while we think of a way to fix up your screw up."

"Hey," Kiba growled, "It wasn't my fault!"

"Whatever," Shikamaru responded, "Man, this is so troublesome."

Kiba heard the phone click. He pulled the cell phone away from his ear and sighed. He didn't know about this. He was all for Naruto being happy, but it didn't seem that the blonde wanted anything to do with Sasuke. Maybe Shikamaru was wrong. What if Naruto really didn't like the Uchiha, and they were all forcing him into these situations?

He didn't know why, but for some reason…he didn't want Naruto to kiss Sasuke. Kiba shook his head and slapped his cheeks to clear his head. What was he thinking? Ugh, stupid brain coming up with random shit like that. Of course Shikamaru was right. Never had he ever seen his friend make a wrong prediction. If he said Naruto really did like the Uchiha, that damned well meant that Naruto liked the Uchiha. Kiba looked at himself in the mirror and grinned, yeah no sweat. He flung the bathroom door open and went to join Naruto and Lee. His pizza was getting cold.

* * *

**This concludes chapter 4! Hope you guys liked it!**

**Now a word from our guest speaker…LEE!**

"**Hello, everyone!" Lee waives his hand enthusiastically as he looks around the room, wondering exactly to whom he may be talking to, "My name is Lee! I am a friend of Naruto and Sasuke!"**

"**Yes, Lee," author says, "They know that."**

"**Oh," Lee looks at the floor sheepishly, "Well, you know about our problem, right?"**

**Author nods head, wondering if Lee was dropped on his head as a child.**

"**I don't know how it will be possible to make Naruto and Sasuke share a youthful kiss," Lee said sadly, "My mind is at a loss. I hope Neji, my rival, can think of something. He has always been better at these things. I am good at public speaking," Lee said proudly, "That's why I'm a Speech professor!"**

"**Wonderful, Lee," author sighs, "Can you please get to the point?"**

"**Oh," Lee blushed crimson, "Review my youthful friends! Your hearty comments make this author here very happy! Please continue to embark into the depths of your souls to pull out wonderful words of encouragement to help this author on the path of writing. Your dedication to our heart-wrenching story is what compels us and keeps us living day after day. Youth cannot be-"**

"**Thank you very much, Lee" author interrupts the wide-eyed boy before he can summon a migraine, "Why don't you get back to Kiba and Naruto before they notice you're gone?"**

"**Right!" Lee flashes a smile and sticks out his thumb, "Secrets are my specialty!"**

**Favs and Reviews!**

**You know you want to**

**Press the button,**

**It's right here!**

**-Smartcat**


	5. Making Preparations

**3/6/11 - Guys, I need you to vote in the poll for which story you want me to update. The story with the most votes will be the one I focus more on (meaning - I will work only on it until it's finished). This is important. I already have the plot lines written for both LTBL and FD, but I need you to tell me which one you want more. Don't be lazy. VOTE!**

**Hello awesome people who make me happy! I want to say thanks to all those of you who left such wonderful comments and wished me a happy birthday! The winner of the oneshot will be announced at the end of the chapter by our special guest!**

**Okay now onto Chapter 5! **

**Not beta'd so please excuse any errors you may find!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Making Preparations

Shikamaru threw the cordless phone on the table and looked up at all the skeptical faces staring down at him.

"I can't believe you let Kiba take Naruto to a psychic," Ino grumbled, sinking further into the couch.

"Doesn't matter now," Shikamaru sighed, "We need to figure out how to fix this."

"So, I'm guessing we're not going to put Naruto and Sasuke in charge of the food stands," Neji said.

"Correct," Shikamaru rubbed his forehead and grimly stared out the window. "This is troublesome."

"I thought we were just trying to get Sasuke and Naruto to get along." Hinata softly said, "I didn't know we were trying to get them into...a ph-physical rel-relationship-p."

Shino nodded, "I don't remember signing on as a matchmaker either."

"Yeah," Kankuro agreed, "I like the guys, but there is no way that I'm going to waste my time trying to convince them to diddle each other's brains out."

Temari elbowed her brother angrily, "Idiot. What do you think we're doing?"

"Apparently," Kankuro said dryly, "Trying to get those guys to do this," Kankuro made some lewd hand gestures causing a blush to appear on Hinata's pale cheeks. Temari shoved her brother off the couch. Kankuro winced and rubbed his backside as it began to sting. He mumbled some choice words under his breath only to be yet again smacked across the head by his loving sister. Gaara glared at his siblings, wondering how on earth he could be related to the bothersome two.

"In order to have Sasuke and Naruto get along," Neji began, "They must find qualities they like about one another. It doesn't have to be sexual. However, in their case-"

"-It's a little different," Shikamaru finished. "You would have to be a complete moron not to realize that the tension between those two is nearly completely based upon desire. Sure, at first it was rivalry…trying to best the other in every damn little thing. However, as they got older, it changed…and neither one of those dimwits realized it."

"Once they start getting along," Choji popped a dried sardine into his mouth, "It will no doubt lead them to realizing that they really care for each other…and not in the friendly way either."

"That sounds like a load of bull," Kankuro griped.

"Hey," Choji said warningly, "I've known those two since kindergarten! Naruto and I used to eat glue together! I think I know them a little better than you do. Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru and I have been together from the get go. And you…you've known them for what, three years?"

Kankuro's eyes shifted away from Choji's pudgy face.

"That's what I thought," Choji grinned.

"You four were such losers," Ino smirked.

"We were losers?"Choji said defiantly, "If I remember correctly, you and Sakura were friends with said 'losers.' Not to mention how ridiculous the two of you acted when Sasuke told us he was gay!"

Shikamaru gritted his teeth, the painful memory resurfacing in his head. He remembered how Sakura and Ino, along with a bunch of other crazy girls had almost beaten them within inches of their lives when Kiba told them Sasuke was gay. Also, Naruto coming out and saying he was bisexual halfway through senior year did little to help heal all the nasty cuts and bruises. Then of course, there was that thing with Sakura and the sound soccer team…yeah, high school memories were best to be kept buried deep, _deep_ within the subconscious.

"Why don't we just put them in charge of the kissing booth?" Tenten said.

"How would that make them kiss?" Neji asked. Tenten looked like she was going to say something, but then her expression changed. She folded her arms and stared at the coffee table, thinking of exactly why she thought a kissing booth was a good idea.

"How about making them put on a little skit where they have to kiss?" Ino suggested.

"That wouldn't work," Gaara's voice rumbled rhythmically, "One look at the script and Naruto would throw it out the window."

"Kankuro," Shikamaru said suddenly, "How long would it take you to build a custom dunk tank?"

Kankuro was one of the best architects at Konoha University. Many of his students went on to be hired by large companies, and Kankuro prided himself on being quick and accurate when doing a project.

"I could have it built within a week if I have some of my students help," Kankuro said after thinking for a minute.

"Good," Shikamaru smirked, "Because we're going to need a big ass tank."

"Dunk a professor?"Neji asked.

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders confidently, "A variation on that. This is going to be a little different."

Everyone in the room grew quiet and leaned in to hear what Shikamaru had to say. The lazy man leaned against the back of his armchair and smiled. When he was through, he waited for one of his friends to speak. The group was silent for some time. Neji was the one who spoke first.

"This plan relies heavily on student participation. How do you plan on getting them motivated enough and involved with this?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "Offer them extra credit if they hit the target. For every bulls eye they make they'll get two points extra credit on an upcoming exam. We'll give them a card they'll need to get signed by whoever is monitoring the dunk tank."

"The Dean is going to have to sign off on this," Ino said, she was beginning to like this idea more and more with every passing minute.

"How are you going to get Sasuke and Naruto to volunteer to become the dunkees?" Shino stated.

"Leave that to me," Neji deviously smirked, "I'll get them to sign off."

"Alright," Shikamaru stood, cracking his back in the process, "Kankuro, you and I will design the dunk tank. Neji will get Sasuke and Naruto to volunteer. I'll get Sakura to get Dean Tsunade to sign off on the extra credit. The rest of you, I need you to promote. Spread the word amongst your students. Offer the extra credit to them. We need them to show up at the rally."

"Are you sure it's wise to include Sakura in this?" Shino said.

Everyone grew quiet again as they thought about what Shikamaru had told them earlier on in their meeting. Ino was looking murderous and Gaara was practically emitting a killing aura. What Sakura had done was stupid, no doubt about it.

"Sakura wants Naruto and Sasuke together, trust me," Shikamaru sighed.

"Shikamaru, she slept with Naruto," Tenten restated, "Are you sure about this?"

Shikamaru threw her a pointed look, "I know what I'm doing." He looked at everyone in the room, "Come Monday, you start promoting. Don't forget to keep Sai far from Naruto. Try to get Sasuke and Naruto to interact as much as possible this week. This is going to be big, people." Shikamaru grinned.

:::

Naruto chewed on his toast thoughtfully as he flipped through a magazine catalogue. It was pretty quiet inside the staff lounge this Wednesday afternoon, and Naruto found it a little odd that everyone was super busy. Midterms were over thereby, free time should have been something that everyone in the building had to have. Naruto lazily flipped over a glossy page and stopped mid chew. There was a three day sale at Sekia's Jewelers. Naruto read the advertisement carefully. _Forty percent off all engagement rings, huh?_ He swallowed down what was left of his toast. Then took the rest of the time familiarizing himself with some of the jewelry displayed on the page.

Neji walked into the staff lounge with a clipboard in his hand. When his eyes landed on the bright yellow hair, he let a smirk play over his features. The Hyuga cleared his throat before approaching the blonde.

"Good afternoon, Naruto."

"Huh? Oh, hey Neji," Naruto smiled, quickly shutting the magazine, "What are you doing here?"

"It's the staff lounge," Neji gave the boy a weird look, "I am part of the staff."

"Oh, right," Naruto laughed nervously, "Stupid question."

"Hn," Neji took a seat beside Naruto and watched as the blue eyed man took a sip of his orange juice.

"Naruto," Neji started, "I have a request."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Well, you know how I've been put in charge of the rally this year?"

"Yes."

"You see, one of the professors participating in one of the events has caught the flu and won't be able to participate. I was hoping you would be able to take his place. I hate to ask this of you so late," Neji paused for effect, "But I have no one else whom I may ask. Most of the professors are involved in the rally in one way or another and won't be able to spare the time to help out in this event."

"Ah," Naruto nodded, "I see…what kind of event is it?

"Dunk the professor."

Naruto's eyebrows rose, "Really…interesting."

"Please say you will help, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes looked kindly at his friend, "Sure, why not. I'm not doing anything that day anyway."

"Thank you, Naruto," Neji beamed, "Just sign your name right here. Also, make sure to wear swimming trunks the day of the rally." Naruto took the pen Neji was offering and signed on the dotted line, not even bothering to read the huge block of text. As soon as Naruto signed his name, Neji grabbed the clipboard. With a quick repeat of thanks, he dashed out of the room.

:::

"Like I said during Monday's class," Gaara's voice echoed inside the large lecture hall, "You _will_ go to the rally and participate. Namely in the 'Dunk a Professor' booth, and if you do not participate, I will see to it that the rest of this semester is filled with extremely hard pop quizzes on the writings of Socrates and long papers discussing the use of literary devices in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Do I make myself clear?"

The students in the class nodded their heads silently; afraid that if they opened their mouths, screams would erupt against their will.

"Wonderful," Gaara smiled devilishly, "See you at the rally. Class dismissed."

The students couldn't get out of the class fast enough.

:::

"Now, let's add some friction," Temari said picking up the chalk. The group of students in the lecture hall gave a loud groan. "So, what do we know? We know that the change in energy is equal to the change in kinetic energy plus the change in potential energy due to gravity…"

"Ugh," Konohamaru grumbled as he hit his head solidly against the desk, "My brain hurts."

"I think I drew this diagram incorrectly," Udon mumbled grabbing Moegi's eraser and running it quite effectively across his paper. Moegi narrowed her eyes as Udon blew the eraser bits across the table and onto her notebook. She twitched as Udon gave a sneeze and some debris flew at her. The sophomore tightened her fist and glared at her friend, the vein in her forehead throbbed dangerously.

"….that gives us our equation. Now, simply plug in the numbers and you have your answer," Temari finished writing on the blackboard and turned, "See, isn't physics easy?"

The despairing faces that greeted her answered her question. Grumbling something under her breath, Temari grabbed the eraser.

"Do you guys want to earn some extra credit?" She asked.

The class perked up.

Temari shook her head; it was ridiculous how the whole demeanor of the class suddenly changed. Students were sitting straight up in their chairs, ears on high alert.

"Everyone knows about the rally coming up, right?"

The class nodded.

"Well, if you want to gain some extra points for your upcoming exam, here's what you got to do…"

:::

It was a little after four in the afternoon when Sasuke heard a knock on his office door. The raven-haired professor mumbled a short 'come in' as he ruffled through some of his papers. The door opened and Neji walked in with a clipboard in his hands.

Sasuke eyed him coolly, "No."

"But you haven't even heard what I have to say."

"Nothing good comes from whatever _you_ have to say," Sasuke grumbled.

"That's ridiculous," Neji smiled and took a seat in front of Sasuke's desk.

"I'm not going to get dragged into another stupid event at this school," Sasuke said thinly, "Sakura had roped me into doing the car wash last time. There is no way I'm doi-" Sasuke's eyes went as wide as saucers as he turned his head. Neji was mere millimeters away from his face!

"Please," the Hyuga asked, "I need just one more person. I am asking you as my friend, Sasuke."

Sasuke stared into the milky eyes, wondering how badly this would end for him. Things never boded well for him when the Hyuga asked him for a favor.

"What exactly do I have to do?" Sasuke finally asked. However, his voice remained unrelenting.

"Participate in the 'Dunk a Professor' booth," Neji answered simply.

"Hell no."

"Why?"

"Neji, do I look like the type of person who likes getting wet for foolish reasons?" Neji rolled his eyes.

"What would you have me do? There is no one else who can participate! Everyone is already part of some booth or in charge of something else," Neji insisted.

"That's not my problem," Sasuke stated and turned around to pick up his pen that had fallen to the ground.

"I will do anything," Neji said seriously, "Please Sasuke, I need you to participate in this event."

"Anything?"

Neji's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Unless it involves me doing something illegal or something that could get me fired."

"Hn."

"Sign your name here," Neji pushed his clipboard towards Sasuke.

"Fine." Sasuke pulled the clipboard toward himself, "But you have to apologize to Naruto for me."

"What?"

"Tell him that I take back my words."

Neji furrowed his brow, "What exactly happened?"

"That," Sasuke signed his name and shoved the clipboard back into Neji's hands, "Is none of your business."

Neji shrugged, "Alright then. Thank you," the Hyuga stood, "Oh, and make sure to wear swimming trunks on the day of the rally."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted and watched the Organic Chemistry Professor leave his office. He stared at the door for a few minutes longer, unsure of why he felt such an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. Turning back to his work, he shrugged it off.

:::

Shikamaru rubbed his forehead outside the wood shop. Kankuro was supposed to let him in since Psychology professors didn't have the keys to get inside the workshop. With a loud sigh, Shikamaru leaned against the dark wall and waited. He wasn't in any particular hurry. It was just that there was nothing to do in the hallway. There were no windows to gaze out of, no pictures to stare at and definitely no interesting female specimens to examine. A good five minutes passed before his walkie crackled to life. Shikamaru pulled it out of his pocket and put it to his ear.

"Talk to me."

"Yo Shikamaru, it's Kiba."

The lazy man rolled his eyes, "Wonderful. What do you want?"

"Naruto said he doesn't need a ride today, so it's just you and me," the biology professor responded.

"Hm…alright then," Shikamaru nodded, "I'll be finis-"

"-Oh shit! Naruto's coming back!" Kiba whispered furiously, "Dude, I'll talk to you later, okay?" the line went dead.

Shikamaru stared at his radio device.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Kankuro called.

Shikamaru turned his head to the side to see Kankuro motioning him inside the shop.

"We're almost done with it." Kankuro said as he led his friend around the shop, "I had everyone in my class help out so it went by fairly quickly. I say by tomorrow evening it should be working with no problem."

"Are you saying there is a problem now?"

Kankuro frowned, "Not really, we're just having a little issue with the dunking board. It's not going down on command as it should…but that's fixable." Kankuro told his students to take a ten-minute break before returning his attention back to Shikamaru.

"So…has Neji gotten the two on board?"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, "I haven't heard anything from him yet."

"Well, if he hasn't done so yet, he should get to it."

"I trust Neji," Shikamaru said, "He told me not to worry about it, so I won't."

"Okay," Kankuro grinned, "You know, I'm kind of excited to see how this all plays out. It's kind of weird that…in a way…we're all playing matchmakers…in a homosexual relationship…not that there's anything wrong with homosexuals! I love them!" Kankuro sputtered, "I think Gaara is a batter for the other team as well e-even though he has never come out and said it."

"Stop talking before you hurt yourself," Shikamaru shook his head, "I'm going to head to the staff lounge." Shikamaru said and left the shop. Kankuro shrugged his shoulders and went back to work.

Inside the lounge, Kiba and Sakura were at it again. Naruto was sipping his can of Sprite watching the two of them silently. His last class had just ended and he was taking a breather before going out to take care of…some business.

Gaara was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed examining a poor student's critical essay. There was so much red ink on the paper that Naruto was starting to feel anxious on the student's behalf.

"Hey…Gaara?"

The red head turned one jade eye at his companion, informing him in his silent manner to continue.

"Don't go too hard on your students, okay? I don't want to tell you how to teach or anything," Naruto coughed, "But um…seeing so much red on that paper is making even _me_ feel nervous."

Gaara straightened up and faced Naruto, staring into his comrade's face.

"I like seeing them squirm," he said simply, "That way, they work twice as hard to hand in their assignments on time with little to no mistakes. It makes my job easier."

"Gaara-"

"Not all the red is bad," Gaara interjected, "I make comments and underline things that I like as well, take a look."

The English professor handed the paper he was grading over to his friend for inspection. Naruto took a minute to read through all of Gaara's comments and found (to his relief) that they were indeed helpful in most cases.

"Hm," Naruto smiled, "Maybe I should do that too."

The door creaked open and in walked Sai with his customary paintbrush tucked behind his ear. All eyes except for Naruto's widened.

"Hey Sai," Naruto greeted politely.

"Hello Naruto," Sai smiled, "I feel as if I haven't seen you in forever."

The blonde professor shrugged his shoulders and made room on the couch for Sai. Just as the dark haired boy was about to sit, Sakura grabbed his arm.

"Oh my god, Sai! There is something I have to tell you," she pulled the poor man out of the lounge faster than the art professor could comprehend that he was no longer beside his blonde friend.

"That was weird," Naruto noted, "I wonder what Sakura needed to tell him."

Neji at that moment, chose to enter the staff lounge, "Where is Shikamaru?"

The occupants of the room shrugged their shoulders.

"Well if you see him," Neji said, "Tell him that I did it."

"Did what?" Naruto asked.

"That…I bought a new set of chopsticks," Neji said quickly.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow but chose not to say anything….maybe all those chemicals in the Organic Chemistry Lab had had some negative effects on Neji's brain. He was going to have to ask Tsunade to run some tests on that guy.

"Oh, Naruto," Neji remembered, "Can I speak to you for a second?"

The blonde nodded and stood from his seat, walking over to Neji.

"I am a carrier of a message," Neji said quietly, "Sasuke says he takes back his words."

Naruto frowned, "Why are you the one telling me? Why the hell can't the frigid bastard do it? Am I not good enough to be talked to now?"

"I'm sure it's nothing like that," Neji mumbled.

"Well, tell him if he wants to apologize, he should do it like a normal person."

Naruto was about to return to his seat when a thought struck him, "Oh, I just remembered. I have to go bring Dean Tsunade my report on the scholarship students." Naruto grabbed his orange backpack from the floor near the couch and rushed out the door with a quick 'see ya guys later.'

When the boys were positive Naruto was out of earshot, Gaara turned his full on glare at the long haired man standing in the middle of the room, "Chopsticks?"

"Shut up," Neji muttered.

:::

After handing Tsunade the paperwork, Naruto ran to his office to grab his coat. Soon he was walking down the streets of Konoha, his heart set on Seika Jewelers and their three day sale. As he walked the streets, he couldn't keep his thoughts from traveling to Neji's earlier comment. The nerve of that raven haired bastard! What the hell was his problem? Couldn't he even apologize like a normal person? Honestly, Naruto didn't understand the Uchiha at all. The guy always seemed to have a stick shoved up his ass…although there was that one time where he wasn't such a dipshit. Naruto unconsciously smiled. It had been after that surprise kiss with Neji. The Uchiha was a welcome distraction. He even seemed to act like a normal human being then.

Naruto kicked a pebble into the grass as his thoughts drifted to when he was younger. He and Sasuke weren't always like this. Back in kindergarten they could have even been called friends. Naruto let out a small chuckle as a memory of him and Choji sitting on the colorful carpet sprang in his mind.

The two boys were busing pulling the threads out of the carpet, seeing who could pull out the longest one. It didn't take long for Kiba to join them, and later Shikamaru. Sasuke had just stared at them from where he sat with a full set of blocks between his legs.

"_What are you doing?" Sasuke asked curiously._

"_We're having a contest," Kiba chimed happily._

"_A contest?" the Uchiha tilted his head._

_Naruto grinned and detached himself from his group of friends and approached the raven haired boy. He sat beside Sasuke and picked up a blue block, "Do you like blocks?"_

"_I don't not like them," Sasuke answered._

_Naruto looked at him a little confused, "What?"_

"_They're okay I guess."_

"_Oh," Naruto smiled, "Well, we're trying to see who can pull out the biggest string from the carpet before the teacher sees. Want to play with us?"_

"_Won't we get in trouble?" Sasuke asked._

"_Nope," Naruto laughed, "Ino is on lookout," the blonde haired boy pointed at a cute little girl with long blonde hair sitting in a chair brushing the hair of a doll. Naruto called out her name and she turned her head and gave a little giggle._

_Sasuke smiled, "Okay. I want to play too."_

"_Great!"Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and led the boy into his group of friends. Sasuke eyed the chubby boy warily. The pudgy boy had one hand covered in a thick white liquid._

"_What are you doing?" Sasuke asked._

_Choji smiled at the new member of their crowd, "I'm eating it! Wanna taste it?"_

_Sasuke shook his head vehemently._

"_I'll try it!" Naruto said and took the bottle of glue from Choji's hands. He stuck one finger inside the bottle and coated it in the slimy white stuff before popping it into his mouth._

"_Well?" Kiba asked curiously, "What does it taste like?"_

_Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. Here, have a taste." He handed the bottle to Kiba who eagerly stuck his finger inside the white goop._

"_Shikamaru," Choji asked, "Do you want some?"_

"_I'm good," Shikamaru shook his head, "Thanks."_

"_We're going to be best friends, right Sasuke?"Naruto grinned._

_Sasuke closed his eyes happily and nodded his head, "Yeah."_

Naruto sighed and pushed the memory away as he opened the door to the Jewelers. A little bell jingled and a middle-aged woman came to greet him.

"Hello sir," she smiled, "How may I help you?"

"I need an engagement ring," Naruto said.

* * *

**End of Chapter five!**

**Sorry it took so long to get it up here, I just have a lot going on right now. Anyway, now a word from our special guest…Gaara!**

**Gaara looks over the crowd with his jade green eyes and grunts, "Pathetic."**

"**What do you mean?" the author asks.**

"**Look at them," Gaara said, "They read about my life and don't even bother to leave a comment. How rude."**

"**Some of them leave reviews," author says.**

"**They must ALL leave reviews," Gaara's eyes shine with a fire, "Or I shall have to take drastic measures."**

"**Now, now Gaara," author pats Gaara on the head. The green eyes turn to glare furiously at the author. **

**Author quickly pulls back hand before she loses it.**

"**Right...well, we can ask them to review nicely," author says hesitantly.**

"**No. We will demand that they review," Gaara says and takes a step towards the audience, "Also I would like to honor the lovely reviewer BOOKHIPPIE for being the lucky reviewer. She has gained the right to request a oneshot." Gaara politely claps his hands, "Please send the author a PM with your request."**

"**Yay, BookHippie!" author cheers only to be silenced by Gaara's glare of doom.**

**Gaara loosens the tie around his neck before turning back to the audience, "Leave a review or feel my…displeasure."**

**Do it because Gaara said so!**

**Leave a review!**


	6. A Splash Made In The Gymnasium

**This chapter just didn't want to finish! Gah, it's like 10,000 words! It just wouldn't finish! Sorry for the really, really, long chapter you guys. I thought of breaking it up in two, but then you guys would probably get mad at me for making you wait for Shika's plan. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! Hope you guys like it! And thanks for all the reviews! Made writing this soooooo WORTH IT! Fanart for chapter 5 can be found on my profile page. There is a link there, so check it out. Sasuke is wearing OSHKOSH!**

**Beta'd by me so excuse any mistakes you may find**

**Warning: Nudity-ish**

**Also, let me know what lines made you laugh in this chapter! Put it in the review!**

* * *

Chapter 6: A Splash Made In The Gymnasium

Temari and Hinata were busy assembling the bull's eye when Shikamaru entered the physics lab. The blonde haired professor had a small plate of metal in her teeth as she held a round target a few feet from her chest. Hinata was standing a good few meters away from the target, holding a solid looking ball.

"Are you ready?"

Temari nodded her head. Quickly Hinata aimed the ball, and threw it directly at the target. Shikamaru watched with one eyebrow raised as the ball stuck fast to the red, target area.

"Damn it!" Temari grumbled after spitting out the metal plate, "It's still too strong. We're going to need to take more of the magnet out of the ball."

"But there is already so little in it."

"What type of magnet is it again?" Temari sighed, putting the bull's eye down on the table.

"I used Aluminun-Nickel-Cobalt," Hinata walked over to Temari and the two girls began unscrewing the inside of the bull's eye. Shikamaru couldn't help the smirk that crawled up on his face, when he saw a large plate of metal sitting in the middle of the bull's eye.

"You know that counts as cheating," he said.

The girls looked up and Temari smiled mischievously, "Since when does this have to do with playing fair?"

"Point taken," Shikamaru pulled a loose strand of hair behind his ear, "I don't care how low we have to stoop to get this done."

"Maybe I should use Iron-Neodymium-Boron instead," Hinata surmised as she held the magnet in her hand.

"It wouldn't make a difference if we used this, or the iron mumbo jumbo," Temari clarified, "The physics is still the same. They will still have the same amount of magnetivity. We can't decrease the mass of the ball therefore, we need to decrease the amount of magnet."

"Blah Blah," Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, "I don't want to hear this nonsense. Just tell me when the damned bull's eye will be operational."

"Honey," Temari said dangerously, "It will be done, when it will be done. No earlier or later, understand?"

Shikamaru froze midstride and visibly swallowed. Temari smirked as she watched her boyfriend's adam's apple bob within his throat. Shikamaru hastily walked to the door and made to leave, however not before the women in the lab heard a distinct 'troublesome' escape his lips.

"Should I take out two grams?" Hinata asked.

Temari nodded, "We'll experiment with the two grams out, and see if it still sticks."

Hinata began removing the metal plate, "How is the dunk tank coming? I heard Kankuro was nearly finished with it."

"It's coming," Temari sighed, "But, he's still having a little trouble with the mechanism. He asked me to look over it."

"Oh," Hinata walked over to a scale sitting idly on workbench ,and began to take the mass of the metal plate, "He still has roughly three days. The rally isn't until Wednesday."

Temari cracked her knuckles and rested her head on the cold table. Her breath began to fog up the black tabletop instantaneously, "Yeah. How many things, do you think, can go wrong between now and Wednesday?"

Hinata stopped what she was doing and thought for a minute. Her already pale complexion whitened further, "Oh dear."

:::

Kakashi hummed as he made his way to the dean's office. The betting had already started, and he was anxious to submit his wager. Most of the other professors had already placed their bets, but being Kakashi – these things tended to get done at the last minute. With one hard push, Kakashi strutted into the dean's office. Shizune was sitting at the secretarial desk; she looked up when the door opened. Instantly she smiled. Kakashi gave her a little wave as he approached her desk.

"I'd like to make a wager."

"Alright," Shizune bent down and opened the bottom drawer of her desk, taking out a small black notebook. "What bet are you trying to place a wager in?"

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow, "How many bets are there?"

Shizune opened the black book and skimmed through it quickly, "Ten."

"Ten?"

"Yes. Ten. Which one are you looking to place your bet in?"

Kakashi shook his head in disbelief. This woman was going to drag the good name of this university through the mud. "I'd like to place my bet on the Sasuke and Naruto initiator kiss."

Shizune grabbed a post-it-note from her desk and scribbled something on it. "Here, take this and go to Tsunade. She'll take care of it from there."

Kakashi nodded. He made to go but then turned around, "By chance, would you know who Tsunade voted for?"

Shizune nodded and smiled deviously.

"Let me guess," Kakashi sighed, "I need to give you five percent of my winnings if I win, right?"

"Why Kakashi," Shizune said smugly, "I never knew you were a psychic."

"Wouldn't have to be," he said glumly, "It's written all over your face."

Shizune frowned, clearing her throat, "She voted for Naruto."

"Ah," Kakashi grinned, "So it's pretty safe to assume that Sasuke will be the one initiating the kiss."

"Nearly ninety-five percent guarantee."

Kakashi pocketed the post-it-note and bowed to the sitting Shizune, "Always a pleasure doing business."

"The pleasure is all mine," she winked.

Kakashi turned and headed towards Tsunade's desk situated behind the large oak door. He gave a good sounding knock and, upon hearing the words 'come in,' turned the brass knob and waltzed inside the spacious, square room.

"Ah, the lovely dean," Kakashi said, eyeing the cup of sake sitting daintily on the woman's desk. Tsunade turned in her chair and smirked at the man in charge of the Physics and Math department, "Kakashi. Long time no see."

"That's because, bad things happen to me when you request my presence, Dean."

Tsuande looked sourly at the silver haired man before her. She motioned for him to take a seat in the chair set up in front of her desk. Obligingly, Kakashi took a seat and stared at Tsunade. Two brown eyes watched him like a hawk as she reached for her cup of sake, and brought it to her lips. "You're here to place a bet?"

"Indeed."

"Is it the Sasuke and Naruto one?"

"Yep."

Tsunade took a sip, "How much are you putting down?"

"One hundred dollars."

Tsunade snorted and began choking on her sake. She coughed hard as the dry, cool liquid jumped in her throat. Kakashi sat still in his chair, waiting for the extreme display on femininity to be over. When Tsunade finally pulled herself together, her face was flushed red. A twinkle was visible in her eye as she pushed a sheet of paper towards the masked man.

"Just write down who it is you're placing your bet on and sign your name." Tsunade grinned, "I'll be taking the money and putting it into that big orange and white box over there." She pointed to a cardboard box sitting amongst the shelves of other boxes of different height and shape. Kakashi took up the pen Tsunade nudged towards him, and wrote down Sasuke's name, signing his own name right next to it. He pushed the paper back to Tsunade, who gleamed when she saw the name written down. Almost everyone who had come to place the bet had made a wager on Sasuke. That meant if Naruto one, she'd be fucking rich!

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Kakashi," Tsunade rolled the paper up and tucked it into the pocket of her lime green suit jacket. "Oh, and by the way – there is a meeting tomorrow at noon about –"

"– there is no chance," Kakashi stood quickly, and ran out the door before Tsunade could finish her sentence. The Dean frowned and leaned her chin against her palm. The meeting tomorrow was going to be excruciating. There was no way she was going to, voluntarily sit through it. Tsunade furrowed her brow in concentration, wondering who she could rope into going, in her place.

Jiraiya? No…he could smell boredom from miles away.

Yamato? No…he had a lecture of his own that he was hosting. Just then, a light bulb went off in her head. Tsunade quickly picked up her phone and dialed the extension for the history department.

"Hello?" The nasally voice of a secretary answered.

"Hello, this is the Dean," Tsunade said, her voice carrying an air of authority.

Instantly, the voice on the other line cheered up, "Why good afternoon, Dean Tsunade! How are you? How is the spring schedule coming?"

Tsunade groaned inwardly. She had yet to even start arranging things for the spring semester, let alone the teaching schedule. "It's coming. Listen, I need you to connect me with Iruka Umino. Is he in his office?"

"I think so. Hold on, I'll connect you."

Tsunade didn't even bother to thank the other woman. She waited patiently, listening to the droning dial until there was a click and Iruka picked up. "Hello?"

"Hello, Iruka," Tsunade coughed into the phone.

"Hello, Tsunade," Iruka responded warmly, "How are you?"

"Not so good," Tsunade coughed again, "I think I'm coming down with something."

"You don't sound so good," Iruka said worriedly as a bout of coughing assailed his eardrum, "Have you seen the doctor?"

"No, but I'm planning on it," Tsunade sniffed for effect, "Listen, Iruka, can you do something for me – that is if you're not busy tomorrow around noon?"

Iruka looked at his calendar. The only break he had tomorrow was between twelve and three o'clock, and he had promised Kakashi that they would go out to lunch together. Another bout of coughing echoed in his ear as he contemplated what he should do. With a sigh, Iruka picked up his pen, "No, I'm not busy. What do you need?"

"Well, there is this meeting tomorrow. Just another status update one, where they will be discussing all the changes and new developments for the institution. It should only take two hours, maybe three tops. Would you be able to go and write down the key aspects of the meeting? It would be extremely helpful. I would have asked Shizune to attend, but the girl has already two meetings to attend that day."

"It's no problem, Tsunade," Iruka said as he scribbled down the information, "Consider it taken care of."

"Thank you, Iruka. Hopefully, I'll get to see you at the rally on Wednesday. Maybe by that time, I'll get over whatever this thing is I've got. Alright, I'll talk to you later, Iruka!"

Iruka muttered a goodbye and hung up the phone. He stared at his calendar and crossed out the lunch date he and Kakashi had planned. Hopefully, his friend wouldn't be too upset.

:::

When Tuesday morning rolled around, Shikamaru, Kiba and Naruto piled into their car and drove to the campus. For some reason, Kiba kept fidgeting in the backseat and Naruto, more than once, looked back and asked if there was something wrong. Kiba would furiously shake his head and stare out the window. Shikamaru glanced at his friend through the rearview mirror and sighed. If Kiba was getting overly excited about tomorrow, he was bound to let something slip out of his ungodly trap of a mouth.

By the time they reached the campus grounds, Kiba was sweating profusely. Naruto gazed worriedly at his friend, noticing the trickles of sweat running down the red tats on Kiba's cheeks. With one swift flick of the finger, Shikamaru unlocked the car doors and let his two friends out, so he could go park the car. Silently, the spiky haired man mouthed a quick prayer to the heavens that Kiba, for once, would keep quiet. He turned the wheel of their car and drove into the faculty parking lot.

Kiba and Naruto watched their friend drive off and walked into the administrative building side by side. They walked quietly down the long hallway towards the staff lounge. As soon as Naruto opened the door, Kiba rushed to the coffee machine.

"Kiba," Naruto started warily, "I don't think you need more coffee."

Kiba dropped the Styrofoam cup and collapsed on the couch. Naruto approached his friend cautiously, and took a seat beside him.

"Naruto, I think I'm in serious trouble."

"What do you mean?"

Kiba sat up and began rubbing his thighs nervously, "I think I'm dyi –"

" – Good Morning, everyone!" Lee enthusiastically swiped into the near empty room. Behind him shuffled in a yawning Neji with a cup of coffee already in hand. He glanced at Kiba and Naruto, giving them a quick wave with his free hand before plodding over to the food bar.

The blonde professor turned his attention back to Kiba, "What were you saying?"

Kiba slumped his shoulders and shook his head, "Forget it. I'll tell you later."

"Tell me now."

He shook his head, "Later, Naruto."

"Kiba!" Naruto grabbed his friend by the upper arm and began to squeeze.

"Fine! I'll tell you during lunch! Geez, you're like a child!" Kiba pulled his arm away in annoyance.

Naruto gave a toothy grin, "But I got what I wanted."

Kiba childishly stuck his tongue out and Naruto made a sour face, "Whose acting the child now, Kiba?

"Ah, bite me!"

Naruto scrunched his nose, "I'll pass. For all I know, you have flees."

"I do _not_ have flees!" Indignantly, Kiba screeched.

"Could have fooled me," Naruto said simply, "You sleep spooning Akamaru, and he definitely has flees."

"Akamaru, does not have flees!"

"But he's always scratching himself!"

"Because that's what dogs do! They scratch themselves!"

"Would you two just shut up?"

Naruto and Kiba turned to glare at Sasuke, who had just entered into their safe abode from the epitomes of hell.

"Mind your own business, bastard," Naruto glared from his seat on the couch.

"That's impossible to do, when you're making so much noise." Sasuke walked towards the coffee machine and grabbed a Styrofoam cup. Lifting the leaver, he let the black liquid pour into his cup. Lee watched in fascination as Sasuke just took the cup and took a seat at the table, not even bothering to add a splash of milk or a teaspoon of sugar to his morning brew.

"Eh, Sasuke?" Lee grabbed a few sugar packets and rushed to the Uchiha, stretching his arm out, "You forgot these."

Sasuke looked at the packets of sugar lying in the middle of Lee's palm. He then looked up into Lee's eager face and quirked an eyebrow, "I didn't forget."

"Lee, leave him alone. That's just how Sasuke is. He likes his coffee, just like his soul."

Lee straightened up and looked at Naruto, titling his head to the side questioningly, "Bitter?"

"Black."

Sasuke's eye twitched and his hold around the Styrofoam cup tightened.

Neji looked at his watch and shook his head, "It's too early for this," he grumbled.

The Uchiha stood from his seat at the table and walked to stand in front of Naruto and Kiba. Lee held his breath as Sasuke bent down from the waist, positioning his face mere centimeters from Naruto. The blonde man grunted angrily.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Dobe?"

"Geez," Naruto scoffed, "I don't know – yes!"

"Do you want me to move?"

"If it would appeal to you, your frigidness."

Sasuke smirked, "You know…coffee stains are a real bother to get out."

Naruto's eyes quickly jerked towards the coffee cup in Sasuke's hand. The blonde grit his teeth loud enough that even Kiba could hear. It was at that precise moment that Sakura ran into the staff lounge holding a hand tightly over mouth.

"Get out of her way!" Ino yelled from the doorway. Sasuke had just enough time to fall on the other side of Naruto, before Sakura ran him over in her flight to the bathroom. They heard the bathroom door slam close with a bang. Curiously, all heads turned questioningly at Ino, who had by now made her way towards a chair at the table. The blonde woman deposited her bag on the plastic tabletop, and began rummaging through her purse.

Neji cleared his throat.

Ino didn't seem to notice as she kept digging deep inside her bag. Lee's mouth opened slightly when he saw Ino shove her whole arm into the purse. For something that seemed so small, that bag could sure take in a lot.

Neji cleared his throat again, albeit this time more loudly – and rudely for that matter.

Ino looked up to find several pairs of eyes watching her. It was quite unnerving.

"What?" she huffed, "Do I have something on my face?"

"Not everything is about you, Ino." Shikamaru said from the doorway, having witnessed Sakura's rush down the hallway earlier, "What's up with Sakura?"

The history professor shrugged, "Don't really know. She was fine inside the car with Choji and me. We were about two minutes from the campus when she started to feel sick."

And that's when they heard the heaving.

Naruto stood up quickly, face going a little pale, "I've got to go." He said hurriedly, and rushed out of the room.

"I have a class to get ready for," Sasuke stood as well, his normal stony features slackened and there seemed to be a trace of fear in the Uchiha's eyes. Muttering a quick goodbye to his friends and colleagues, Sasuke all but ran out of the room.

Everyone just stood frozen in an awkward silence. It had taken Choji's hearty good morning to jostle the occupants of the staff lounge.

"Did you see that?" Ino asked.

"I think they're both still afraid of vomit."

"No shit, Kiba," Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "I've only seen those two move that fast once in my lifetime…when Kai Honda had the stomach flu in third grade."

"What happened?" Neji asked curiously.

"Let's just say," the lazy man plopped down next to Kiba on the couch, "Kai heaved all the contents of his stomach right onto his tablemates, Sasuke and Naruto. The two of them were covered in vomit within a fifteen-second interval. Both Naruto and Sasuke had gotten a little taste – one I'm not sure they'll ever forget."

"Oh," Choji smirked, "I remember that. The two of them were taken to the nurse's offices, and ended up wearing school sweatshirts that were four sizes too big. We called them penguins for a whole week!"

Sakura trudged out of the bathroom, holding her stomach. Strands of her pink hair were plastered to her forehead, as she wobbled over to the couch. Shikamaru shifted further away from the rosette, intent on staying bug free.

"This is divine punishment," Sakura grumbled loudly. She raised her head slightly and looked up at the ceiling, "I get it! I'm sorry! Leave my poor body out of it!"

Shikamaru jumped to his feet, "Well, I'll be getting to class now. See you all later." With that, he grabbed his jacket and walked out the door just as Gaara and Shino walked in.

The entomologist eyed Sakura warily, noting how she kept yelling at the ceiling, "What happened?" he asked Choji.

"Sakura finally snapped."

"Oh," Shino shrugged his shoulders, "My best regards to the mental institution. She should be a hand full."

:::

Naruto was writing down instructions for the next paper his class had to write when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Frowning, Naruto reached in and pulled out his cell phone, flipping it open. There was a text message from Kiba.

_Hey Dude_

_Meet ya in staff room_

_Gotta get ur opinion on smthng_

_K? _

Naruto checked the time; it was almost time for his lunch break. He turned to look at his students who were sitting obediently in their seats. Fuka, as usual, was sitting in the front row wearing a ridiculously low cut shirt.

Naruto wondered if the woman had no sense of shame.

"Alright, everyone!" Naruto put the piece of chalk down and smiled wildly, "I would like to remind everyone about the rally being held tomorrow. As you all may know, most classes have been cancelled. However, it would be very beneficial if you attended, and supported this institution. We're going to have many prospective students coming to take a look around. I, along with many of the staff will be there, participating in the planned events. I encourage you all to participate as well."

"Professor?" A student in the back raised his hand, "Are you going to give us extra credit if we attend?"

Naruto looked at the student oddly, "Why would I do that?"

"Well," a student in the middle piped in, "Many of our other professors are offering us extra credit if we participate in one of the events."

Naruto crossed his arms curiously, "Like who?"

"–Professor Yamanaka."

"–Professor Hatake."

"–Professor Inuzuka."

"Interesting," Naruto thought aloud. He shook his head, "I won't be giving out extra credit, but I still encourage you to go. It will be a great experience."

The class nodded but Naruto could see some disappointed faces. However, today was not the day for him to dillydally. Fuka was already racing towards him. Naruto quickly grabbed his orange backpack and skedaddled out of the room before Fuka had a chance to grab a hold of him. He walked/jogged to the staff lounge, eager to reach the security of the administrative building. Once inside the safety of the staff lounge, Naruto heaved a sigh of relief. He flung his bag to the floor.

"–Pinocchio is still dancing with the puppet."

"What did you say?" Naruto looked oddly at Ino, who all of a sudden, dropped what looked like a walkie-talkie into her bag.

"Oh uh, nothing, Naruto! Just asking Kiba here if he w-wanted another c-chicken nugget!" she stammered.

"They have chicken nuggets today?"

Kiba quickly shoved a brown rice onigiri into his mouth, and shook his head, "No moah! No moah! I juf at the lash one!"

"That's disgusting!" Ino growled as a piece of rice flew into her face, from Kiba's open mouth.

Naruto chuckled and took a seat beside Kakashi, who for once, was sitting alongside them in the staff lounge. However, the Head of the physics and math department looked all but pleased to be there. He was staring melancholy out the window, his covered chin resting sadly in the palm of his hand.

"Neh, Kakashi?" Naruto nudged his old teacher, "What's got you all depressed?"

"That demonic woman has cajoled my Iruka into her evil plan. Now, I'm stuck inside this decrepit building, with no lunch date and no Iruka."

"If I remember correctly," Naruto smirked, "Iruka is straight."

"Well, that sucks," Kakashi grumbled.

"You know, Kakashi sensei," Ino butted in, "If you just tell Iruka sensei that you like him, maybe he'll give you a chance."

"And maybe he'll be so disgusted that he won't speak to me ever again." Kakashi said glumly, "We hang out as friends all the time. I'd rather just have that, then nothing at all."

The door to the staff lounge swung open and in came Choji and Gaara along with Sakura, who was looking much better now. The three professors walked straight to the food bar. It was at that time that Kiba nudged Naruto's leg under the table. The blonde looked at his friend questioningly, and Kiba motioned with his head towards the staff bathroom. Naruto stood from his seat and followed Kiba. After closing the door, Kiba turned to Naruto.

"I think I have cancer."

Naruto's eyes widened in alarm, "What?"

Kiba nodded sadly, "I think I've got skin cancer, but I'm not sure. I mean, it's not in exactly a great spot for me to check."

"W-where do you think it is?" Naruto stammered.

Kiba blushed as he pointed to his pants.

"You got skin cancer on your dick?"

"I know! Isn't that insane? I mean, I didn't think – I didn't think sunscreen should go down there you know!"

Naruto couldn't wrap his brain around the situation.

Kiba thought he had cancer.

Kiba thought he had cancer on his dick.

How the hell do you get skin cancer on your dick?

"How the hell did you manage that?"Naruto said amazed.

"Beats me!" Kiba threw his hands up in defeat, "I don't want to die!"

"Are you sure it's not just a birthmark?"

Kiba nodded, "Positive. I think I would have noticed after twenty odd years, you know?"

"Alright, what do you need me to do?" Naruto asked.

"I need you to look at it. I'll ask you some questions, and see if it really is skin cancer or not."

"Okay," Naruto nodded, "Pull down your pants."

Kiba took a deep breath and began to undo his belt. Moving as quickly as he could, Kiba let his pants fall and pulled down his boxers. His cheeks flamed as Naruto got down on his knees and stared at his flaccid cock.

"Well, where is it?"

Kiba shakily pointed to the base of his cock, right where the hair began to end. Naruto saw it immediately. Naruto griped Kiba's cock and pushed it away gingerly. Kiba jerked and withdrew.

"What are you doing?" he sputtered.

"Well, I can't see it very clearly," Naruto looked embarrassed as he stared at the floor for a second, "I just wanted to move it out of the way so I could get a better look.

"Oh," Kiba relaxed and moved back.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Seriously. I'm your best friend. And as your best friend, I suggest you shave this mess you have here. No wonder you don't get many dates. The women take one look at this bird's next, and run for the hills."

"Watch it," Kiba growled, "Do you really want to be making fun of me, when I may be dying?"

That instantly put a frown on Naruto's face, "I'm sorry. God , I hope it's not cancer."

"Me too," Kiba whispered.

Naruto gently moved Kiba's cock out of the way and stared at the black dot near the base of Kiba's cock.

"Okay, what is it that I'm supposed to be seeing?" Naruto asked.

"Alright, Kiba," Kiba stoked himself, "Remember your ABCs."

"What?"

"Asymmetry, Border irregularity, color variety and diameter."

"Okay, yeah," Naruto rolled his eyes, "I have no clue what that means."

"Man this feel so weird," Kiba groaned, "Fine. Tell me if it's circular or if it has ridges and stuff, like not circular."

Naruto looked at the black spot for a minute, "I think it's pretty circular."

"Okay," Kiba sighed, "That's good. Next question. Does one side of it look bigger than the rest?"

"Like, is one side more puffy then the other one?" Naruto asked.

"I guess, yeah."

"Hmm," Naruto looked again, "I'd say maybe? Like, it looks kind of like – holy shit it moved!"

"WHAT!"

"Dude, your cancer just like twitched!" Naruto looked up, "Is that normal?"

"FUCK NO, DUDE! THAT IS NOT FUCKING NORMAL!"

"Hold on," Naruto pulled a mechanical pencil out of his pant pocket, and clicked it so the lead was a good few centimeters extended.

"What the hell are you going to do with that?"

"Poke it."

"You are not poking it, Naruto!"

"Maybe it's not cancer," and before Kiba could voice his protest, Naruto poked the black spot with his mechanical pencil. What he saw made his eyes widen, then narrow.

"Kiba, you flee bag! That's a tic!"

"A tic?"

"Yeah, a fucking tic attached itself to your penis!"

"Shit, no way!"

"How many times have I told you not to sleep commando with Akamaru!" Naruto stood up angrily and glared at his best friend.

"I don't sleep commando with Akamaru!"

"Then how the hell do you explain this?" Naruto pointed to the black tic.

Kiba shrugged his shoulders, "I don't kn – fuck! I'm going to murder that dog!"

"What?"

"You know how when I go to the bathroom, Akamaru sometimes pushes the door open and comes in? Well, yesterday he came in and his tail pushed against my crotch when I was using the toilet. Maybe that's how I got it!"

"I'm betting that's how you got it," Naruto grumbled, "Shit, Kiba. You fucking scared me!" Naruto hit his friend upside the head angrily.

"Sorry, Geez! I thought I was going to die!" Kiba glared and began pulling his pants up.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked.

Kiba looked at him questioningly, "What does it look like? I'm pulling my pants up."

"No you're not." Naruto walked towards the door, "We're getting that tic out and flushing it down the toilet. Stay here, I'm going to grab some tweezers from the first aid kit."

Without letting Kiba get a single word in, Naruto swung open the door and ran towards the cabinet in the staff lounge, where they kept the emergency kit. Naruto noticed how there were more professors present in the staff lounge. Quickly, he rummaged through the cabinet, and upon grabbing a hold of a pair of tweezers, nearly sprinted back to the bathroom.

Kakashi watched his old student rather curiously. What on earth could Naruto be up to? Slowly, he stood up from his seat and made his way in the direction Naruto had run off too. He stopped short in front of the staff bathroom. His brow furrowed curiously. Now, Kakashi knew his students very well. Whatever had Naruto in such a tizzy must be really important. Then again, maybe he should leave it alone. Kakashi stared at the door, feeling a lot like a curious cat.

He came to a decision. If the door was locked, then it meant that it wasn't for his eyes to see. However, if the door remained open…

Kakashi grabbed the door handle and turned it, swinging the door open. What he saw made his eyes almost pop out of their sockets. He was sure that his jaw had unhinged in its plummet to the tiled floor. Naruto was on his knees in front of Kiba, with one hand firmly gripping the other's cock.

Both heads snapped up at the sound of the door opening. Before Kakashi could holler, Naruto was beside him with a hand clamped over the mask, covering his old teacher's mouth.

"It's not what it looks like!" Kiba screeched in an attempt to explain.

Naruto closed the door with his foot, and made sure to lock the door this time. "Kiba has a tic."

Kakashi raised one eyebrow as his onyx black eye fixated on an exposed, Kiba Inuzuka.

"Yeah," Kiba crossed his arms in annoyance, "It's on my dick. Glad I could be your source of humor for the day."

Naruto removed his hand from Kakashi's mask and went back to Kiba, "Don't tell anyone, okay?" Kiba pleaded with his older teacher.

Kakashi sighed and nodded. Then walked over to stand where Naruto was.

"Now you two see why it's so useful to wear a mask." Kakashi said as he looked at the tic, "You never know where students put their hands."

"Haha," Kiba griped, "Can we just get this blood sucker off my dick, please?"

Naruto nodded and brought the tweezers towards the black tic.

"Careful, Naruto," Kakashi cautioned, "You don't want to cut it in two. We don't want Inuzuka here, to get an infection."

Naruto nodded and gripped the bug with the tweezers and pulled.

"Ow," Kiba winced.

"Ha!"Naruto pulled the tweezers away, holding the tic in the metal-like jaws of the tweezers. "Do I have skills or what!"

"Good job, Naruto," Kakashi patted Naruto on the head, "I'll be sure to call you the next time I get a tic."

"Maybe we should give this guy to Shino," Kiba suddenly thought, "What if this sucker has some disease?"

Naruto's grin suddenly fell. He nodded, "Where is Shino?"

"Just a second," Kakashi said and stepped out of the bathroom. Kiba took this time to pull up his pants. Kakashi stepped back inside a few seconds later, "He's in his office. You can just take it to him now."

Kiba and Naruto nodded and rushed out of the bathroom. Eager to get the tweezers and tic to Shino as quickly as possible. Kakashi returned to his seat at the table, where he found many pairs of eyes looking at him, faces questioning.

"The mutt had a tic on his wiener."

Grins broke out across the table.

"This doesn't leave here, just to be clear," Kakashi said.

"Don't worry, sensei," Sakura chuckled, "We won't mention it. At least – not when Kiba is around."

Just then, all walkie-talkies crackled to life and Kankuro's voice rang loud and clear throughout the room, "The bitch is complete! I repeat, the bitch is complete!"

Shikamaru smirked as he pressed a button on his walkie, "Mission Dunk, is now ready for operation."

:::

Sasuke woke that Wednesday morning with a feeling of apprehension. He sat up in bed and looked at the digital clock resting on his nightstand. The green lights red six fifteen – that meant he had a good five hours before he needed to show up at the rally. With a grim look on his face, he collapsed back down on his bed, grabbed his pillow and nuzzled his face into it. This was getting a little strange. For the past few nights, all his dreams circled around that day back in high school – the day of their championship soccer game. Sasuke turned to face the wall, his eyes wide open.

He hated that day.

Hated it.

The look on Sakura's face…

Naruto, standing beside him…the soccer ball dropping from his shaking hands…

Sasuke's hold on his pillow tightened as he tried to shove the memory far away.

Why?

Why now, were these memories coming back to haunt him?

Sasuke shut his eyes tightly, breathing in deeply the scent of his pillow, forcing the dreams back. He was awake now. It should be easier to do.

The wind was howling outside his window, causing the branches of trees to scratch at his walls. The sounds were anything but soothing, as they all reminded him of something he would like to forget.

He pushed the blankets off and stood up. There was no chance he would be able to fall back asleep. So, grabbing his robe from the chair, Sasuke marched into his bathroom. Flinging the navy blue robe on the counter, Sasuke stripped himself and climbed into the shower, turning the nozzle to let steaming hot water cascade over his ivory skin. The bar of soap sat waiting in the shower caddie. Sasuke stretched his hand and grabbed the slippery block, starting up a good lather. He threw his head back into the spray, wetting his already darker than black hair. Feeling the water run down his face, Sasuke smiled. Good, the heat was working. Slowly, the memory began to fade.

Sasuke grabbed his toothbrush and paste, and made quick work of brushing his teeth, all the while letting the water beat down his shoulders. When he was finally done, all memories concerning the soccer championship were forgotten. Pleased with himself, Sasuke strode purposefully into his kitchen, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and t-shirt. He grabbed a pan from the underside cabinet and placed it on the stove. Grabbing the kettle, he filled it with water and set it to boil.

Within twenty minutes, Sasuke Uchiha was sitting at his kitchen table, enjoying the eggs and green tea he had prepared. He was nearly done when his cell phone began to ring from within his bedroom. Frowning, he wiped his hands with a napkin and walked into his bedroom, picking up his phone.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hello, little brother," spoke the voice of one, Itachi Uchiha.

"What do you want at–" Sasuke turned to look at the clock, "Eight o'clock in the morning?"

"Are you busy?"

"No, Itachi. Just finishing my breakfast. What is it?"

"Well, just wanted you to be the first to know, that I'm proposing to Ayako today."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Really? I thought you weren't that interested in her."

"Hn," Itachi grunted, "She grew on me, I guess. And she's an exceptional cook."

"Better then mom's cooking?" Sasuke joked.

He heard a chuckle on the other end, "No one could compare to mom's cooking."

Sasuke smiled glumly, "Yeah. You're right."

"Hey, don't be like that."

Sasuke bristled as he stared at a picture frame, "I'm _not_ being like that."

"I will bet you a hundred shares of Sharingan Industries that you're staring at the picture of them, sitting on the cabinet in your living room."

"Bugger off, Itachi," Sasuke growled, "Wouldn't want any of your stocks anyway."

"Hm, sure." Sasuke heard a door open on the other end, "Look, Sasuke. I've got to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded to himself, "See ya, Itachi."

Itachi mumbled a quick goodbye before cutting of the connection. Sasuke sighed and pocketed his phone, walking closer to the cabinet with the photographs. There were only several photos there. A picture with his parents and Itachi, his mother and father on their wedding day, Itachi and one of their cousins covered in dirt holding a fish by the hook, and a picture of him, Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi after their science class freshman year. Sakura was smiling at the camera along with Kakashi, while he and Naruto were glaring at each other, ruining a perfectly good picture. He grunted. That dobe managed to mess everything up, all the time. He couldn't even take a decent picture, for god's sake! Angrily, Sasuke tipped the picture over. He walked back over to the kitchen table and grabbed his plate and mug, taking them to the sink to be washed.

:::

"Alright, people," Shikamaru said as he stood in the front of the staff lounge. Everyone participating in Operation Malt Balls was present. Kotetsu and Izumo were standing by the door guarding, just in case Sasuke or Naruto showed up early. "We all know what we're doing. Do we have the rope and the eighteen multicolored plastic rings?"

Genma grinned, "I got them right here!"

Shikamaru grinned, "Good. Where are my girls working the bull's eye?"

"Over here!" Temari waved along with Hinata in the back.

"Gaara?" Shikamaru scanned the crowd of professors for the redhead. Upon spotting him he smirked, "You're going to be on line duty. I want you to strike fear into their hearts. Make sure they hit the bullseye."

Gaara crossed his arms in annoyance, "I know what to do," he grumbled, "Just make sure tic-boy here doesn't screw anything up."

"Hey!" Kiba bellowed, "If anyone, it would be Sakura who would screw it up, not me! And Kakashi, I'm going to kill you!" Kiba jumped out of his seat with intent to kill. Shino grabbed the flying mongrel by the hood of his sweatshirt, promptly pulling him back into his seat.

"It was a mistake!" Sakura glared angrily, "Let it go! I think I've paid for my sins already, if yesterday was anything to go by. I'm never eating chocolate covered peanuts _ever_ again!"

"Well, if everything is under control, I'm going to go run another test on the dunk tank." Kankuro stood, "I just want to make sure the remote is still working properly."

Shikamaru nodded, "After the test, give me the remote. I'll be in charge of the actual dunking."

Kankuro nodded back to Shikamaru and left the room.

"Make sure your walkies are on," Shikamaru said after the gang ran through more instructions, "I want everyone on the same page, we clear?"

The professors all murmured their agreements, "Okay, "Shikamaru pulled out his walkie, "Let's get this show on the road!"

By the time Naruto and Sasuke appeared, team malt balls was all ready in position. Gaara was standing at the foot of the dunk tank. His arms were crossed and he was glaring at one female in particular.

One busty, shameless female in particular.

Fuka was already standing in line, within the gymnasium, for a chance to see Naruto. Gaara was debating on whether he should call in his old team and get rid of this…menace. However, he had made Naruto a promise that no harm would come to the loathsome devil. So here he stood, eyes glowing with hate as the shameless woman walked towards the dunk tank. Her blouse was even more open than usual. Gaara was hoping there weren't going to be any gusts of wind today. He feared that just one little flurry would leave Fuka topless, and there was no way he was scarring himself by catching a glimpse of her big ass tits (which were probably so full of silicone, that there wasn't any real tit there).

It didn't take long for his classes to show up. All of Gaara's students were standing in line for the dunk tank, with fearful expressions on their faces.

Gaara smirked.

"Hey, Gaara!" Naruto called out as he entered the gymnasium. Gaara eyed his good friend, noting the man was dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans.

"Where are your swim trunks?"

Naruto lifted his orange backpack and grinned, "I'm going to go change now. But, why the hell is there already a line? I didn't even think the event started yet."

"They must be very excited, I guess," Gaara eyed his students, who at the sight of those emerald green spheres, stood erect and smiled thinly at Naruto. The blonde wasn't buying it.

"Does this have anything to do with the extra credit I've been hearing about?" He crossed his arms and looked pointedly at Gaara.

The redhead swallowed, a droplet of sweat already forming on his brow, "First time I'm hearing about it."

"Hmm," Naruto rocked on the balls of his feet for a moment, staring at Gaara, "You know, Gaara. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were lying to me."

Gaara's heart hammered in his chest and his hands began to sweat.

"Alright," Naruto sighed, turning towards the men's locker room, "I'll see you in a bit."

After Naruto had walked inside the locker room, Gaara whirled towards his students, his eyes blazing, "Who has been speaking of this extra credit outside my classroom!"

There was a lot of knee trembling going on, but not one soul confessed, fearing that if they did, it would have been their last few words on god's green earth.

Naruto quickly changed inside the locker room, not bothering to look up when he heard someone else enter. He grabbed his swimming trunks and pulled them on, shoving the rest of his clothes in his bag. A few minutes later, he was standing behind the dunk tank with Neji, Kankuro and Sasuke.

"Alright you two," Neji instructed, "Put these plastic rings on around your necks. Nine each, understand?"

"Why do we need these?" Naruto asked, "Aren't we just getting dunked?"

Neji hesitated, casting a quick glance in Sasuke's direction. As soon as the Uchiha saw the uncertainty in the Hyuga's eyes, his stomach dropped.

Oh fuck.

Here was the prophesized foreboding.

"Not exactly," Neji breathed deeply as he took up some rope and approached Naruto, "I need you to put your hands together, Naruto." The blonde looked oddly at his friend, but shrugged his shoulders and put his hands together in front of himself. Neji began to tie them up with the piece of rope.

"Neji," Sasuke said in a warning tone, "What is going on?"

"Well, you see…there was a vote on this booth throughout the school (participants of team malt balls) and everyone decided (Shikamaru decided) that it would be much more interesting to tie you two up. Instead of dunking you automatically after a bull's eye, you have to remove these plastic rings from each other's neck using your teeth (Ino's wonderful suggestion). After all the rings are removed, there will be one more thing you have to do before being dunked." Neji grabbed Sasuke's hands and began tying them together, "But I'll let Sakura tell you that."

"When you two are up on the dunking board, try to stand in the middle alright?"Kankuro added, "We've got gears at the ends and it would really suck if you two messed it up. I worked real hard on this thing."

"No problem, Kankuro," Naruto grinned, "The bastard and I will make sure to stand in the middle. Ain't that right, ice princess?"

Sasuke just wanted to take Naruto by the neck, and squeeze the life out of the pathetic loser, "Hn."

Instantly, Naruto frowned, eyebrows knit together angrily.

Sasuke smirked.

"Okay, you're ready," Neji said and pushed the two towards the four-step ladder, "Do try and act civilly. There are prospective students here. Don't scare them off, or it's your paycheck that's going to suffer."

Sasuke growled but nodded nonetheless. He made his way up the stepladder and walked towards the middle of the board. As soon as he looked up, a burst of cheering assaulted his ears. There were women everywhere. He turned his head to look at Naruto, who had just walked up onto the board.

The blonde's cheeks were red.

"Embarrassed, Naruto?" Sasuke chided.

Naruto glared, "No. It's just…there are a lot of girls out there. And…Fuka."

"Who's Fuka?"

"A student in one of my classes who is intent on molesting me."

"Alright, everyone!"Sakura's voice boomed through the speakers, "Welcome to Dunk the Professor! Here we have Professor Uchiha and Uzumaki, who have graciously volunteered!"

Cheering echoed throughout the room.

"Now, as you all may know. In order for us to be able to get those two in the water, you'll first have to hit the bull's eye twenty times! Eighteen so the two can take the rings off each other with their teeth, and two so that they could untie each other with their teeth! On the twenty-first bull's eye, however, we're letting you pick what you want! Here are the options. You can have the professor's either a) put on floaters for their first fall, b) stand on their hands until the first fall or c) kiss until their first fall! Let me hear what you want!"

Gaara looked murderously at the students in line, "Kiss. Yell. Now."

The loudest scream for 'kiss' filled the room as Gaara's students yelled for all they were worth. Sasuke and Naruto paled at the bout of screaming.

Kiss.

They were going to have to kiss?

That wasn't what they signed up for!

"Kiss it is!" Sakura's voice giggled into the microphone, "Alright, let the game begin!"

"They won't be able to hit the target so many times," Naruto tried to reassure himself, "There almost all girls. That's near to impossible."

Sasuke nodded, "No worries. We probably won't even have to get in the water."

The two professors watched as a girl wearing a navy sweater picked up a ball. She aimed and threw it hard.

To their horror and disbelief, she hit the target straight on.

Temari and Hinata giggled behind the target as they quickly pulled away the magnet so the ball could fall on the other side. Their timing had to be just right. It couldn't look like anything other than a direct bull's eye. Hinata picked up the ball and threw it to Shikamaru, who then threw it to Sakura.

"Alright, Naruto! Take off one of the rings from around Sasuke's neck!"

Naruto closed his mouth, unaware it had been open and turned to face Sasuke, "Okay. I can do this," he mumbled. He turned to face Sasuke, taking a deep breath. Bending his head down, he grabbed one of the rings with his teeth. A tendril of blonde hair tickled Sasuke's bare nipple. The Uchiha stiffened as he felt the heat of Naruto's mouth against his chest. In one quick movement, Naruto had the ring halfway off the Uchiha. However, he needed Sasuke to move to get the whole thing off.

"Grr," Naruto looked up at Sasuke, "Mofph daym if!" Sasuke turned his attention to Naruto's face and moved his head through the ring. Naruto tossed the red plastic over into the water. Sasuke averted his eyes and stared back out into the audience.

It must have been a lucky shot.

To his dismay, the next girl hit the target dead on too.

Sasuke turned to Naruto, who had a sincerely shocked expression on his face.

"Is that even possible?" he gaped at the Uchiha, eyes wide.

"Just our rotten luck," Sasuke grumbled before bending down to grab a purple ring in his mouth. Unintentionally, his teeth grazed lightly over Naruto's bronzed chest. Blue eyes nearly popped, as a shiver ran down Naruto's spine. Pushing the feeling aside, Naruto moved his head through the ring and let Sasuke throw it hard into the water. Naruto turned away from Sasuke as he tried to get a grip over his racing heart.

What the hell was that?

His eyes suddenly went wide as a memory flashed through his brain.

_"You and this man are destined…you care for him, Naruto. He cares for you…I see now. Your feelings of hate are just a defense mechanism…he needs you – In ten days, Sasuke Uchiha will kiss you and you will finally understand everything!"_

A feeling of dread washed over him as he glanced at the raven-haired man.

No.

The psychic was wrong.

She had to be.

How many days has it been?

Sasuke couldn't be the one.

It was impossible!

"Dobe," Sasuke grunted, "We're waiting."

Naruto quickly turned and grabbed a ring in his teeth, not paying attention to the darkening of Sasuke's eyes as his lips pressed against the ivory chest. Sasuke silenced a gasp and grit his teeth, moving his head through the ring as fast as he could.

The faster he got the rings off, the faster he could leave.

The water looked very welcoming right now.

It would cool the heat he felt rising to his cheeks.

Sasuke couldn't understand how every girl (only three boys so far) had managed to hit the target almost every time. It was near to impossible!

They were already down to the last ring. Sasuke clamped his teeth around the ring on Naruto's chest, and heaved it up. The blonde pushed his head through for the last time, and Sasuke threw the ring into the water.

"Alright! Now we're down to the rope! C'mon you guys, let's get them in the water, for a little cool me down!

A male student picked up a ball, then with one look at Gaara, threw it straight at the target. Temari and Hinata didn't even need to use the magnet. He hit the bull's eye dead on without their help.

Naruto hung his head and approached his nemesis. Sasuke was looking uncomfortable too. The man raised his hands so Naruto could attempt to undo the knot, when Sakura's voice boomed on the speaker.

"Uh uh, Sasuke! You have to leave your hands hanging! You can't help him here!"

Sasuke's head snapped upwards, "But then my hands are –"

"Still can't move them!" Sakura smirked, loving the look of horror on both Sasuke's and Naruto's faces.

Begrudgingly, Sasuke lowered his hands and concentrated hard on keeping a blush from appearing on his face. Naruto got on his knees, his cheeks flaming red and brought his mouth to the piece of rope. Sasuke felt Naruto grip his left leg as the boy tried to pull at the knot.

"Naruto," Sasuke whispered hoarsely, "Can you please, go faster?"

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, about to say something nasty. However, as soon as he caught sight of Sasuke's eyes, his words lodged themselves in his throat. Sasuke really looked uncomfortable. The blonde nodded his head and tried to get the knot to come undone. It took a good minute or two before Naruto was able to get the knot out. As soon as the rope fell, Sasuke took a step back from Naruto and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

It didn't take long before Sasuke was kneeling before Naruto, working the knot of rope with his teeth. Sasuke had a firm grip on both of Naruto's legs as he pulled at the rope with his teeth. The blonde was sure the audience could see the most evident blush on his cheeks. Sasuke definitely saw it, but didn't say anything.

For that, Naruto was grateful.

It wasn't their fault.

It was Neji's fault.

That grey-eyed man from hell.

"Sasuke," Naruto croaked.

"Hn,"

"I'm going to kill Neji after this. You in?"

Sasuke nodded, accidently pushing Naruto's hands against his crotch.

The blonde hissed, "Careful there, bastard. I'm only human."

It was then that Sasuke noticed a very small bulge.

His cheeks flushed scarlet.

Finally, Sasuke undid the knot and backed away from Naruto. The two were looking everywhere but at each other.

Fuka took the ball in her hands, completely confident in herself. She was going to make the target, if only to see what Naruto looked like when he was being kissed. Her mouth turned up in a grin as she threw the ball with such force that it whizzed past Shikamaru, almost hitting him in the head.

Another bull's eye.

Sasuke and Naruto had already accepted their fate.

It was as if the heavens had had it out for them since day one.

They turned towards each other and stared.

Naruto didn't even bother to try to hide his blushing. His eyes were focused on Sasuke's collarbone. He needed to ready himself. Naruto closed his eyes, intent on taking a deep breath. Before he had a chance to open his eyes, he felt a pair of lips descend on his. He froze. All preparation discontinued.

Sasuke was kissing him.

Now, Naruto was not going to let Sasuke win here either. The blonde opened his mouth and licked at Sasuke's bottom lip. Naruto felt Sasuke jerk but the raven didn't move. Instead, he opened his mouth and nipped gently at Naruto's upper lip.

Sasuke didn't know why he was feeling this way, but he pushed away the feeling of wanting to wrap his arms around the blonde. The tingling in his groin was spreading up, and the longer he kissed the blonde, the more he seemed to want to explore. Sasuke pushed his tongue into Naruto's mouth, coaxing the blonde to play with him. Naruto obliged, rubbing his tongue against Sasuke.

His heart fluttered as he felt Sasuke's hand brush gently against his. Electric sparks ran up and down his spine as Sasuke deepened the kiss further. Naruto had to hand it to the bastard. He was a pretty good kisser.

Shikamaru grinned as he pushed the button on the remote. A split second later, there was a gigantic splash and both Naruto and Sasuke found themselves sopping wet.

Neji smirked as he stood beside Shikamaru on the side of the tank, "Well, that's going to be a kiss, that they'll have a hard time forgetting."

Kiba and Shikamaru chuckled.

Lee nodded his head enthusiastically. Then trying to outdo his rival, he said loudly, "Yeah. It was a splash!"

The laughing stopped.

"And you killed it," Kiba grumbled, "Good job, Lee."

* * *

**And that's chapter 6! Wooh, that took forever. Great, now that I'm done, I can go study for my Organic Chem midterm (wah!) Now a word from our guest, NEJI!**

"**Hello," Neji says.**

"**Hi, Neji!" Author chimes, "What do you think will happen now?"**

"**Well, I have no doubt that both Sasuke and Naruto want my hide," Neji's brow twitches, "That is why I shall be going to the temple to pray now. I have no doubt, that the two will carry out whatever hideous revenge plan they have. So, if you'll excuse me, I shall be taking my leave."**

"**Wait, Neji!" Author grabs Hyuga by the shoulder. Neji turns and eyes the hand, "Sorry." Author removes hand, "Aren't you forgetting anything?"**

**Neji thinks for a minute, "If you find my common sense, please give it back to me. I find myself making stupid decisions with it gone."**

**"…"**

"**I meant our readers." Author whispers.**

"**Oh," Neji looks out at readers, "Please, pray for my safety." With that said, Neji grabs some incense and speedily walks out of the gymnasium.**

"**Well, since Neji is occupied, I'll tell you," Author grins foolishly, "Review and Make my Day!" **


	7. The Past and the Present

**UPDATE: Just want to give a huge shout out to TOMATOXCHERRYLOVER! Thank you so much for the beautiful picture. I really love it! Guys, go check it out, it's awesome! Here's the link (just remove the spaces!) http:/ smartcat101. /#/d3e3nsn **

**Hey guys! Sorry for updating so late. I know, it has been like a month, I am truly sorry. I was planning to have this chapter out last week, but things came up and I couldn't finish writing it. By the way, if you guys want to add me on Skype, my name is SMARTCATVA, if you want to chat or anything, I'm usually on. Anyway, be sure to read everything in bold at the bottom, because there is a surprise for those of you who do. Trust me, you'll like it. Alright, now onto Chapter 7!**

**Warning: Sexual Content, rape scene**

**This is not beta'd so please excuse any grammatical errors you may find. I proofread it myself, and might have mixed some things. Tehe**

* * *

Chapter 7: The Past and the Present

By the end of the rally, Sasuke was fuming. He was cold, wet and his fingers were all pruned, not to mention that Neji was nowhere in sight. The raven haired professor grit his teeth as his hands bundled into fists by his side. He shook his head furiously, droplets of water shooting like fired bullets from his spiky black hair. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he grabbed his towel and stormed off to change into his normal clothes.

He and Naruto had come up with a brilliant plan to get Neji back, while they stood shivering upon the beam earlier. He smirked, running his towel through his hair, drying it as best he could. Neji.

Oh Neji.

They would let that worm cower in fear. Make him shake in his highly polished shoes.

Neji.

Oh Neji.

The plan was perfect. He would call up Neji later this evening and state to the sorry ass bastard, that he should watch his back.

Vigilantly.

He and Naruto were getting him back big time.

Neji would never know when the payback would hit him.

He'd be constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting some horror to befall him at any moment. However, the evil would never come. The silver-eyed professor would drive himself crazy, and all the two of them would have to do is watch.

Grinning to himself, Sasuke shoved his swimming trunks into his bag and left the locker room.

The car ride home, however – proved to be another matter all together.

Once he'd gotten Neji off his mind, a head of soaking blonde hair assailed his conscious. Sasuke frowned and tried to push the image of a dripping, wet Naruto away. He turned the wheel of his car onto his street and drove to the curb, parking his car right outside the apartment building. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, he grabbed his bag and made his way into the brick building. His footsteps echoed as he walked through the hallway towards the elevator.

It was around six o'clock, and usually at this time, there were many people coming in and out of the building. That's why Sasuke found it strange that today everything was silent. Quietly, he rode the elevator up to his floor. The humming of the steel elevator did nothing to sooth the growing agitation he was feeling.

By the time he entered his apartment, his palms were sweaty and Sasuke was finding it hard to breathe. Deep cerulean eyes taunted him within his mind. They stared at him, beginning to cloud over with a veil of lust. Sasuke swallowed hard as he threw his bag on the floor; not even bothering to take out the wet swimming trunks and hang them up to dry. He shakily walked over to his bed and sat down. His eyes focused on the wall opposite him, as his mind began organizing through all of today's events. His body trembled as he remembered the dobe's face when he was trying to undo the knot, holding the blonde's hands captive…that little bulge he saw.

Naruto had been aroused.

That was obvious. Though, what Sasuke couldn't understand was why after seeing that, did he feel himself growing hard?

Not to mention that kiss.

He shivered at the thought.

Goose bumps covered his body as he rubbed his forearms to rid himself of the memory. He had felt Naruto's excitement push against his thigh. He was sure of it. Just thinking about it made his whole body heat up hungrily. He licked his lips, remembering the taste. The feel of his tongue gliding over Narutos' as he tightened his grip on the younger man. Sasuke closed his eyes, letting his senses take over and propel him deeper into the memory, making it come alive once more. His hands fisted in the sheets of his bed, his head bent back in concentration. The silence throughout the building, helping heighten his already straining senses. As the minutes passed, his breathing became more ragged as he saw Naruto's teeth, working the knot holding him. He could feel the hot breath caressing his hands, the short puffs that pushed against his ivory skin. The slight slip of the tongue against his heated skin as Naruto attempted to grip the rope with his teeth. Just watching that gold head of hair bob beneath him was more than enough for the Uchiha.

He cringed as his growing erection pushed against his jeans. The rough fabric pushing against the need growing inside him was proving to be unbearable. With a shaky hand, he pulled the metal zipper down to relieve himself from the growing tightness. Sasuke swallowed, imagining Naruto unzipping his pants and taking his length into his hands. Naruto's slender fingers stroking the throbbing pale flesh as he brought his mouth closer…

The sound of his cell phone ringing had Sasuke snapping his eyes open wide in alarm. He stood up hastily and ran towards his bag, trying to get his phone out while at the same time trying to zip up his pants. He shook his head, trying to clear it of the devilish thoughts floating about.

What the hell was that?

Was he just about to touch himself thinking about Naruto?

What the fuck?

What was going on?

Sasuke pressed a palm to his sweat-coated forehead, trying to discern if he might have a fever. There was no reasonable explanation for what he had been thinking. None at all. No one thinks sexual thoughts about the person they hate, right? He swallowed hard, digging through his bag in an attempt to find his phone before the person on the other line hung up. He made a mental note to google whether it was normal to think of people you hate sexually. Right now, he needed to find his phone.

It was probably Itachi calling, telling him how the proposal went. He didn't want to miss this call. For all he knew, he might be welcoming a new member into his small family.

In all honesty, he was actually thankful for this distraction. How on earth, did he let himself become so distracted by that blonde idiot! Seriously, he was going to google himself an answer – right after taking a nice, long shower.

"Hello?" he answered, a little breathlessly.

"Hello, Sasuke."

"Neji," Sasuke grit his teeth, "You. Are. Dead."

"Now, Sasuke," Neji's voice quivered slightly, "This is in no way my fault. I could not have known the students would pick _that,_ out of the choices given."

"You are going to die, asshole," Sasuke gripped the phone tightly, his anger rising, "I have never been more uncomfortable in my life! Naruto and I are going to get you for this. Believe me, Neji. You can run, pray, hide, I don't care, but we're going to get you. I can't fucking get that idiot out of my head!"

"What?"

Sasuke bit down hard on his lip, "Nothing. Just know you're a dead man walking."

"You're…thinking about him? What kind of things are you thinking, Sasuke?"

"None of your business, traitor," Sasuke walked over to the couch and unceremoniously dropped himself down on it.

"You…you weren't masturbating just now…were you? You did sound…a little out of breath…"

"I. Was. Not. Masturbating." Sasuke's eye twitched as his face turned red, "You're mentally unstable, you know that?"

"Right," Neji scoffed on the other end, "You were thinking about him…and after what had just happened, I could only assume –"

"Well, you assumed wrong. Bye, Neji," Sasuke flipped his phone closed and let it fall beside him on the couch. He ran his hands through his hair, in an attempt to calm his nerves.

Damn that Hyuga.

Sasuke stood up and stomped towards the bathroom, eager to take that shower.

:::

Naruto stared out the window, gazing at the twinkling stars appearing in the night sky. They were all so far away, yet it seemed if he just stretched out his hand, he would be able to pluck one out of the sky. He wondered what it would be like to hold a star, and have it twinkle in the palm of his hand. He sighed and took a step back, his hold on a small velvet box tightening. Naruto collapsed into his chair and stared at his pet frog, lazily sitting on a stick with a look of boredom on its face. The frog let out a croak and shut its eyes. Naruto frowned in annoyance. Even the frog was being difficult today. He let out another sigh.

Yes. Today had sucked majorly. The rally turned out to be anything but fun. Being embarrassed in front of everyone, let alone Sasuke…

Naruto clenched his teeth, his brow furrowing in anger. What the hell was going on?

An erection?

Because of Sasuke?

Enjoying the kiss?

What the hell!

"Argh!" Naruto banged his fist against his desk. Was he that desperate? That he would enjoy any sexual attention no matter who the person was?

He felt disgusted with himself…but then again…when they had kissed…Naruto was almost a hundred percent sure he felt something hard press against his leg. It wasn't just him. Sasuke had been aroused as well, he was sure of it!

That kiss…that kiss was…that kiss was one of the hottest kisses he ever had, and it had been with Sasuke Uchiha.

Why? God, why was it with him?

To top it all off, why was Sakura giggling like a fool during their lip lock? Her laughter echoed throughout the gymnasium because of that damned microphone. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she had planned this all from the start. However, this was Neji's project, so he knew it couldn't be the rosette's doing.

He frowned.

Sakura had been trying to get him and Sasuke to get along ever since grade school. It had all started in third grade, when he and Sasuke got into a huge fight. Their teacher had gotten so fed up with their constant class disruptions that she made Sakura sit in between the two of them.

He smiled.

They were always seated in alphabetical order and thereby, he always sat in the third row with Sasuke sitting in front of him. Sakura usually sat next to either Naruto or Sasuke, depending on whether there were six people between her and Sasuke or seven. The rosette had taken it upon herself to moderate between the two, and in that way, somehow ended up with the two boys becoming her closest friends. She had always tried to get them to befriend one another. Nonetheless, he and Sasuke stayed bitter rivals, never showing anything but hate and anger towards one another.

There had only been one time during their school days when he and Sasuke had come together. Just one.

He would never forget that day.

It had been after their soccer championship. As punishment for getting into a fight on the field, the coach had made him and Sasuke clear up the equipment and bring them back into the shed after the game. Sakura had let them know that she would wait for them to finish before heading to the party, that Kiba was hosting for their win. She was looking very cute that day. Her long hair tied back in a ponytail, and tendrils of her pink hair framing her face beautifully. She radiated happiness in her white and green cheering uniform. Even Sasuke had commented on how good she looked in it. Naruto remembered seeing her blush. He knew perfectly well that she still harbored some feelings for Sasuke, even though she knew he was gay. Yet, she also had feelings for him as well. To which, for some reason, he had a hard time returning.

"_I'll wait for you guys by the shed, okay?" Sakura said, throwing the winning soccer ball at Naruto._

"_Yeah," Naruto smiled, "Don't go to that party without us! We'll be done here before you know it. Promise Sakura, you won't go without me?" He pouted._

_She let out a sweet laugh, "I promise, Naruto."_

"_C'mon, you idiot," Sasuke growled, grabbing Naruto by the sleeve of his jersey. "We've got to go collect the cones."_

_Naruto pulled his arm out of Sasuke's grip angrily, "Well, we wouldn't have to clean up after everyone, if you would just fucking listen to me. I was wide open, Sasuke! You should have just passed the ball to me!"_

"_I had a shot at goal, so I took it!" Sasuke fired back._

"_Guys, stop it! Can you just stop?" Sakura yelled angrily, "Honestly, five minutes…can you go five minutes without fighting?"_

_Naruto picked at the cold ground with the toe of his cleat, not daring to look Sakura in the eye. Sasuke just stood there stoically, letting the wind blow at his black hair. _

"_Look, just go get the stuff," she sighed, "I'll wait."_

_They watched her walk away before heading onto the field and collecting the scattered equipment. It had taken them longer to gather everything then it would a normal person. Their constant arguing had made them take ten minutes longer then it should have. When the two of them had finally gathered everything, Naruto picked up the soccer ball lying in the grass, Sasuke heaved the sack of equipment on his shoulders, and the two of them quietly began making their way towards the shed. _

_They were a few feet away from the shed door when Naruto heard a faint cry. He lifted his head slowly and listened more closely. There it was again. He turned to look at Sasuke. Apparently, the raven had heard it too. He dropped his load quietly by the side of the door._

"_You hear that?" Naruto whispered._

_Sasuke nodded and pushed his finger against his lips, signaling Naruto to remain quiet. The blonde nodded in understanding. The two of them crept alongside the shed, listening for the sound. _

_Behind the shed, there was a cluster of trees. Students would often go there during class with their boyfriends or girlfriends for a little alone time. However, Naruto found it odd that someone would be using that spot now, when school had been over for a couple of hours. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as he edged closer to Sasuke._

_They heard a strangled sob._

"_Keep her quiet!" They heard someone say in a low voice._

"_Naruto?" Sasuke whispered, "You didn't see Sakura by any chance, did you?"_

_The Uchiha watched the blonde shake his head, "Did you?"_

_Sasuke shook his head in reply. He then began creeping towards the trees, trying to make as little noise as possible. Naruto followed close behind._

_What they saw made their eyes widen. Naruto dropped the soccer ball he was holding, a look of disbelief and horror took over his features. Even Sasuke's expressionless face could have been easily read at that moment. _

_Five of the soccer players from the Sound soccer team stood around Sakura. Two of them had their pants down to their knees. One was in the process of shoving himself into the girl's mouth. The other was thrusting quite enthusiastically between her thighs. Sakura let out another strangled sob. Another of the soccer players had a firm hold on her ponytail, and yanked it every time she let a sound escape. His free hand was busily squeezing one milky, white breast hard between his fingers. The other two were busy holding her arms and legs down in order to keep her from flailing, and attempting to fight back. _

_Sakura had angry red scratches on her face and chest. Her shoulders were tensed and her back arched. Eyes wide with fright, she stared horrified at the sight before her. The stinging pain between her legs was near to unbearable. She chocked on a sob, thinking this might be her last day on earth. She gagged as the teen before her thrust deeper into her mouth, his hard dick pushing against the back of her throat. Sakura gave another anguished cry. _

"_Hey!" Naruto yelled, "What the fuck are you doing?"_

"_Get the fuck away from her!" Sasuke yelled, his face filled with rage._

_The two guys holding Sakura's arms and legs jumped to their feet and ran at Sasuke and Naruto. One of them lunged at the blonde with a fist aimed for the face, but Naruto easily moved out of the way. The rage and anger he was feeling made the punch he dealt to the guy's face, that more painful. The guy hit the ground hard, cradling his face, shrieking from the pain, all the while spitting blood. _

_Naruto then lunged for the teen who had been pushing himself into Sakura's mouth earlier. He jumped on the guy with a loud yell._

_Sasuke had dislocated his opponent's shoulder with one swift movement, then using the window the guy gave him, kneed him in the groin as hard as he could. He then jumped on the next guy, who had yet to finish doing up his pants. Sasuke executed a perfect round house kick, sending the teen crashing into the bushes. Then he grabbed him by the shirt and continued to punch at his face until the boy no longer made a sound._

_The fifth member had hightailed it out of there, leaving Sakura sobbing hysterically on the cold ground. Her uniform was torn in several places and the blood running down her milky white legs, scared the girl into crying louder._

_Sasuke and Naruto didn't stop until all the Sound soccer players lay unconscious on the ground. Only then did they rush towards Sakura, anger and worry clearly displayed on their faces._

"_Are you alright, Sakura?" Naruto worriedly wiped the tears from the girl's face. Moving the strands of hair out of the way, so he could access any damage._

"_You're joking, right?" Sasuke looked at Naruto, "She just got raped. Do you think she's alright?"_

"_We need to get her to the hospital," Naruto said as he gingerly moved the sleeve of Sakura's torn uniform to cover her chest. The bra the girl had been wearing was torn, leaving Naruto with a clear view of the redness around the girl's nipple. "Call Shikamaru. He probably hasn't left yet."_

"_NO!" Sakura yelled, "Don't tell anyone! Please!"_

"_Sakura," Sasuke stopped fiddling with her shoe in an attempt to get it on her bare foot, "We need to get these guys to the police, and you to a hospital. Naruto and I can't do it all ourselves. We need our friends to help."_

_Naruto picked up Sakura's phone from the ground and dialed Shikamaru. _

"_Hey," Shikamaru responded, "Me and Kiba were just about to head out. Are Sasuke and Naruto with you yet?"_

"_Shikamaru," Naruto's voice shook slightly, "It's Naruto. I need you to call the police right away. Sasuke and I are taking Sakura to the hospital."_

"_What? What's going on?"_

"_We're by the equipment shed. Please, just call the police. Get Kiba here too, we need to make sure these guys don't get away."_

"_Naruto? Shit, what the hell happened?"_

"_Just get your ass over here, Shikamaru!"_

"_Alright, I'll be there in two minutes."_

_As soon as Kiba and Shikamaru arrived, Naruto picked up a shaking Sakura from the ground and cradled her in his arms, "We're taking Sasuke's car, okay?"_

"_What happened?" Kiba asked, his eyes going wide._

"_These punks ganged up on Sakura and tried to rape her," Naruto replied angrily, "Fucking assholes."_

"_Holy shit."_

"_I'm going to call Choji," Shikamaru reached for his phone, "We're going to make sure these guys don't get away with this. Also, the police should be here soon. I told Shino to stand and watch for them. He'll bring them here when they arrive."_

"_Alright," Sasuke nodded, "Naruto, let's go."_

_The blonde nodded and began following Sasuke to the car._

_When they reached the hospital, they let the medical team take over. The two of them were ushered to the waiting room by one of the nurses. So, unhappily, they sat in the waiting room quietly, waiting. After a good long hour, a nurse approached them, a grim look on her face._

_Naruto jumped to his feet immediately, his heart starting to race, "Is she okay?"_

_The nurse nodded, "Sakura Haruno will be alright. Her parents are with her now, so if you'd like to see her, I'd wait another few minutes."_

_Naruto sighed in relief and gave the nurse a polite nod of the head. She nodded back and left the two boys. _

"_I hope those bastards get sent to prison," Naruto said through clenched teeth as he watched the minute hand of the clock move slowly._

"_Hn."_

"_It's been two minutes," Naruto stood up, "I think we can go now." Naruto made an attempt to go towards Sakura's room, only to be stopped by a firm grip on his sleeve._

"_Give it another five minutes, Naruto."_

_Naruto looked at Sasuke. The raven haired teen was staring at him, silently letting him know that now wasn't the time to start an argument. They had to give the family some more time before they intruded. The blonde swallowed hard and looked back at the mocking clock. It's sleek black plastic hands making seconds feel like eternity. Dejectedly, he sat back down into the hospital chair and gripped the wooden handles fiercely. He would give the Harunos five more minutes, and then there would be no stopping him. _

_Four minutes later, Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Naruto by the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him along to Sakura's hospital room. The blonde followed Sasuke eagerly, his patience having long ago expired. When they entered Sakura's room, they found their good friend sitting up in the hospital bed, wearing one of those paper gowns. Her eyes were still red and puffy, but she did look more calm._

"_Hey, Sakura!"Naruto tried saying cheerfully._

"_Honey, I don't thi -"_

"_It's okay, mom," Sakura turned to her mother, "Can I talk to them alone for a minute?"_

_Her parents exchanged glances between themselves, then quietly nodded and stood from their seats, "We'll go fill out the forms the doctor gave us. Your father and I will be right outside if you need anything."_

_Sakura smiled haggardly and waited for her parents to leave the room before she broke out in fresh tears. Naruto was instantly at her side, his arms wrapping comfortingly around her shivering frame. _

"_Oh, Naruto!" She cried, "Th-they don't th-think I'll b-be able to h-ha-have ch-children!"_

_The blonde's eyes widened in alarm as the girl in his arms began to cry harder. He chanced a glance at Sasuke. The raven haired teen was standing by the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face._

"_I'm going to get you some water," Sasuke said, turning to leave the room._

"_N-no one is g-going to w-want to m-marry me now!" Sakura wailed, bunching Naruto's shirt in her fists, "Not only was I r-raped, b-but I might n-never be a-able to have c-children!"_

"_That's not true, Sakura!"_

"_Yes, it is!"_

"_No, it isn't!"_

"_Yes, Naruto! No one wants spoiled goods!"Sakura shuddered, her shoulders shaking as her breath caught, "I'll never get married. Never have a family."_

"_You will."_

"_Yeah? Who will want me?"_

"_I do," Naruto said firmly, "I'll marry you, Sakura."_

"_R-really?"_

_The blonde nodded, "Take this as a proposal. I promise I'll marry you, Sakura. I don't care if you can't have kids. We'll adopt if we have to, but I promise you that you will have a family. Sakura, after we graduate college, will you marry me?"_

_Sakura nodded furiously. _

"_Great," Naruto smiled and brushed a tear from Sakura's flushed cheek, "It's settled then." _

He sighed and stared at the sparkling diamond looking up at him. A promise was a promise. He never went back on his word. They had graduated a while ago, and he still had not put this ring upon her finger. Naruto looked back out the window and sighed. He had to do it. He was going to do it. Naruto stood and walked back to his underwear drawer, pulling it open. Gently, he placed the velvet box inside.

:::

For the next week, Naruto and Sasuke did everything in their power to avoid each other. Naruto even went as far as eating his lunch outside or hiding out in his office until it was time to go home. Sasuke began walking rather quickly through the hallways, with his eyes affixed to the scuffed college corridors, in an attempt to make sure he made no contact what so ever with a certain blonde individual.

Bathrooms were avoided by both, just in case they might run into each other.

The staff lounge was off limits.

That one time Naruto chanced to go inside, Sasuke had gone as well, and as usual, a fight broke out. When Sasuke had gripped his arm, Naruto unconsciously shivered. He pushed the raven away from him, hard. Sasuke stumbled backwards, hitting the wall. Naruto turned his head and walked quickly towards the food bar, hoping his movements were quick enough to hide the heat he felt on his face. Sasuke, on the other hand, leaned against the wall with his mouth slightly open. Eyes darted around the room, evaluating everyone's expressions. Shikamaru and Kakashi were looking at him with mild interest. Gai was helping Hinata, who apparently fainted.

Things were just not going well. So, Sasuke brushed off his clothes and walked determinedly out of the staff lounge.

Basically, every place one could possibly run into the other, was avoided like the plague.

Come Wednesday, Naruto was bordering on hysteria. He kept stopping at corners, just in case Sasuke was there. He would run through the parking lot, just in case the bastard was there. He even stopped using the elevators, just because the damned thing could stop at a floor and open to reveal Sasuke.

Kiba was growing very worried. Not only was Naruto spazzing out, but the blonde idiot went as far as going back to visit the psychic. Thankfully, they had Gaara's 'friends' take care of that loose end. When Naruto had arrived at the psychic's shop, all he found was a 'For Rent' sign hanging on the white washed door. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy.

The two of them were sitting in the kitchen gobbling down some left over fried pork from the day before. Shikamaru had chosen to stay over Temari's place for the night, so the two of them were left alone.

Kiba had taken Akamaru to the vet that morning, so the kitchen was unusually silent. He picked at his food, wondering what the blonde was thinking about. Sighing, Kiba picked up his glass of juice and took a sip. The brunette watched as Naruto slowly forked a piece of meat and brought it to his mouth, taking a big bite. Kiba smiled, popping a piece of fried pork in his mouth as well.

"Hey, Naruto," he said mid chew, "You want to go to the bathhouse tonight?"

Naruto looked up from his plate, a quizzical expression on his face, "Why?"

Kiba swallowed and grinned up at his best friend, "To relax. You've been all tense and stuff all week. I think going to the bath house will give you a chance to let the stress just…evaporate away."

The blonde quirked an eyebrow, "Evaporate away?"

"Oh, you know what I mean," Kiba looked down at his plate, his cheeks a rosy shade of red, "Do you want to go, or not?"

Naruto thought about it for a minute. It sounded like a good idea, "Sure. Sounds like fun."

"Cool," Kiba grinned, showing off his impressive canines. He lifted his fist and gently bumped it against Naruto's waiting one.

The two friends were at the bathhouse within the hour. Kiba went to park the car while Naruto decided to head inside to get changed. It was a little late for a bathhouse visit, but Naruto didn't mind. In fact, he preferred having less people around. That way, he could fully enjoy his bath.

Leisurely, he walked towards the changing rooms, throwing his bag of things on the bench as soon as he stepped inside. Unhurriedly, he began to strip his clothes, making sure to fold them and place them in his bag. He was just wrapping his towel about his waist when Kiba came into the changing room. The guy had already pulled off his shirt, exposing a lean and well muscled chest and torso.

"I'm going to head in," Naruto said with a smile, "Hurry up."

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba threw his bag next to Narutos' and began undoing his belt. "I'll be there in a minute."

The blue eyed man grabbed his basket of bathing supplies and sauntered off towards the men's bath. Entering the showers first, he quickly showered himself off before making his way to the communal bath. His rubber shoes shuffled against the tiled floor as he walked the short distance. Pushing open the door, Naruto stepped into the bathing room, the bath waiting for him a few feet away.

The blonde folded his towel and hung it on the rack, then took his basket and walked towards the edge of the bath and peered into the clear water. Sticking his toe in, he sighed in contentment. The water was deliciously hot.

Naruto placed his basket near the edge of the bath and submerged himself in the water, loving the warmth he felt rising up from his soles, heating up his cold feet. He immersed himself to the chin, eyes closing in the sense of calm.

There were three other men sitting in the large bath. Naruto watched them curiously for a few minutes. They seemed to be much older, probably somewhere in there late fifties. A splash on his left made him divert his attention.

Kiba was hastily stepping into the hot water, his eager face made Naruto want to burst out in laughter. The boy's tongue stuck out as he waded in further. When his feet hit the bottom of the tiled floor, the brunette dunked his head under the hot water, only to appear beside Naruto a few seconds later.

Naruto laughed as Kiba scrunched his nose, evidently feeling the chill on his face. The dark haired boy brought his hands to his face and pressed on his cheeks, trying to keep his face from freezing.

"Stupid idea," he grumbled, his nose twitching.

"Eh, yeah," Naruto grinned and grabbed his washcloth and bar of soap. He began a lather only to have Kiba grab his washcloth right out of his hands, "Hey!"

"You were first _last _time," Kiba smirked as he thrust his own washcloth at Naruto, "You do me first."

Naruto rolled his eyes and grabbed the soapy cloth from Kiba's hands. The coffee eyed boy turned his back and leaned against the side of the bath, a smirk resting peacefully on his face. His ears perked as they heard the sound of Naruto lathering up the washcloth. Kiba felt the water move behind him and soon there was a warm cloth pressed against his back. Closing his eyes, he leaned against his crossed arms, taking pleasure from the feeling of the cloth rubbing against his back.

"So," Naruto started, "What did the vet say about Akamaru?"

Kiba grunted, "Said he'll be fine. Told me I could pick him up tomorrow afternoon."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

Naruto dunked the washcloth into the water, wetting it once more before pressing it to Kiba's muscled shoulders, "We haven't done this in a long time," he said after a minute of silence.

Kiba replied by nodding his head.

"You know…I went back to that psychic the other day," Naruto said, "Apparently she doesn't work there anymore."

"Really?"

"Yeah, the place was up for rent," Naruto sighed, "And I really wanted to ask her about some things. Like, about the Sasuke kiss."

Kiba's eyes flew open, "Oh yeah…she said you guys were going to kiss…weird that it actually happened."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "That's what I thought too. I wanted to ask her about it, and about the other things she said."

"What other things?"

"You know…when she said Sasuke and I would be together…that stuff."

"Oh, I forgot about that," Kiba lied. He heard Naruto dunk the cloth in the water again.

"I mean…he hates me and I hate him," Naruto poured water over Kiba's back, washing the soap away from the tanned skin. "I can't end up with him…I'm…he's…we…"

Kiba turned around and picked up Naruto's washcloth, "Turn around, Naruto."

The blonde sighed and did as Kiba said, positing himself the way Kiba had done.

"I saw that kiss, Naruto," Kiba said as he reapplied the soap to the cloth, "That didn't look like hate to me."

"Well," Naruto huffed, "It was…I don't like him, okay!"

"Never said you did."

"Whatever," Naruto said, closing his eyes, "He's an asshole."

"Sasuke has his moments."

"Yeah? Like when?"

Kiba smiled, rubbing the cloth against Naruto's lean back. The white soapy bubbles were gathering on the sides, like little mountain ranges, Kiba stuck his finger into one of them, rubbing Naruto's back with his hand. His hand trailed upwards to the blonde's shoulders.

"Ah," Naruto moaned as Kiba squeezed his shoulder, "Do that again."

Kiba chuckled. He put the washcloth onto the tiled floor and began rubbing the tension out of his friend's shoulders. Naruto gave another satisfied grunt.

"Remember when you and Sasuke were friends?" Kiba asked after a few minutes of rubbing.

"Mrgh," Naruto incoherently grumbled.

"I remember when you guys actually had fun together…well…we all had fun together. Don't you remember, Naruto?"

Naruto opened his eyes, his blue orbs clouded over as he recalled a time when he and Sasuke got along. A frown appeared on his face, "Yeah…then he went and told the teacher I cheated on the exam. I swear I wasn't cheating, Kiba! Sure, I was sick as a dog that day, but I would never cheat! Let alone off of that pudgy black haired kid!"

Kiba sighed and brought Naruto into a friendly hug. The blonde rested his head on Kiba's muscular shoulder, finding comfort and support there.

"It was a pretty shitty thing to do, I got to admit," Kiba tussled the blonde locks of hair comfortingly as he let go, "I can't believe he lied about it too."

"Yeah," Naruto grumbled, "I mean, Michiru saw him telling the professor, and I got a zero for that damned thing! The least he could have done was come clean! I didn't fucking cheat!"

"I know you didn't," Kiba sighed, "But that was third grade, Naruto. Don't you think it's time to forgive and forget?"

"Eh?" Naruto lifted his head, "Have you forgotten everything that's happened since then? Kiba, are you feeling okay?"

The brunette rolled his eyes, "I'm fine, Naruto."

"Well your face is red."

"That's because it's hot in here, dumbass."

"Is mine?"

"No." Kiba chuckled, "Why don't you give Sasuke a chance. Maybe you guys will find out that you do get along."

"Kiba, did you drink some of this water? I think something is wrong with your brain."

"Oh c'mon, Naruto, what's holding you back? What if you and Sasuke end up liking each other? Would that be such a bad outcome?" Kiba tried to pull Naruto into a hug again. The blonde wriggled.

"Whatever," Naruto pulled away from Kiba's attempt at comfort, "I'm going to hop in the shower." The blonde hoisted himself out of the bath, the water dripping from his naked body. Kiba watched as Naruto straightened out, the muscles of his calves tensing as he took a step towards his towel. Naruto pulled his towel from the rack and tied it around his torso, covering up. Kiba blinked and averted his eyes.

"I'm just going to have a quick shower. I'll wait for you in the lounge if you want." Naruto said, shoving his feet into the rubber shoes.

"Nah," Kiba waved the blonde off, "I'll be done soon too. Just going to soak here for a few more minutes before hitting the showers…I'll be done in about fifteen minutes. Then we can go home."

Naruto nodded, "Alright." He grabbed his basket and began walking to the door. Kiba watched his friend's form disappear before he sunk down into the water, leaving only his nose and eyes above the water. Furrowing his eyebrows, Kiba stared at the old men on the other side of the bath. They were all sitting in the water, talking about what it is old people talk about.

Kiba let out a breath of air, causing bubbles to form and spring to the surface. Naruto was obviously hiding something from him. Kiba was sure of it. It was the first time that the blonde had pushed him away…physically that is. Kiba pushed back his hair to keep it from his eyes as he pondered.

Naruto craved human contact, he was never one to push it away. So…what was he trying to hide? Did he not want him to know that he actually like Sasuke? Did he think he would disapprove? Kiba grunted. Or, was it something that had nothing to do with Sasuke?

He was just assuming it had to do with Sasuke, because that was the only touchy subject with Naruto…and with that kiss…he presumed that's what it was…but what if it was something else? The brunette shook his head, he wasn't the analyzing type. These things were better left for Shikamaru to decipher.

Tomorrow, he would corner that lazy ass and tell him what happened.

Naruto had pushed Kiba away.

That was not good.

Not good at all.

* * *

**Now a word from…Hinata!**

"**Hello, e-everyone!" Hinata gripped her goggles securely, "How a-are you d-doing?"**

"**They're doing great, Hinata," author assures the grey-eyed woman, "Tell them! Tell them about your interview!"**

"**Oh...okay," Hinata smiles at the audience, "W-well…it was okay…th-though it was k-kind of c-cut short wh-when…I…I-"**

"**When you fainted," authors nods in understanding, "I thought Shino and Temari were supposed to make sure he didn't go into the staff lounge? What happened there?"**

"**Temari told him Sasuke had a class during our lunch break," Shikamaru said from his chair, "And Sakura and Lee told Sasuke that Naruto had class during our lunch break. So the two of them ran into each other and…well…you could listen to it for yourself."**

"**R-really?" Hinata looked confusingly at Shikamaru, "What do you mean l-listen to it? I c-couldn't find it after I woke up."**

"**Man," Shikamaru sighed, "I took it and gave it to Shizune for you. I'm guessing she gave it to Tsunade who decided to upload it onto some site called youtube."**

"**Y-youtube? But…won't Sasuke and Naruto see it?" **

"**No," Shikamaru said lazily, "This author here, has somehow made sure that those two will never be able to find it. Don't know how she did it…don't really think I want to."**

"**Hehe," author laughs to herself, "You don't want to."**

"**Anyway," Shikamaru stands to his feet, stretching in the process, "I have to meet up with Kiba. He said there was something important he wanted to talk to me about." Shikamaru waves to Hinata before walking out of the staff lounge.**

"**Ehm," author clears her throat, "Hinata, aren't you forgetting something?"**

"**Um…oh yes!" Hinata looks pointedly at the camera lens, a cheerful smile on her face, "The author would like to thank you all for reading. Please continue to leave her your reviews. She greatly enjoys reading them, and they make her want to write more for you!"**

"**Good girl," author hugs Hinata who gives a light hearted giggle, "Leave a review guys! And if you want to see the interview Hinata had with some members of operation malt balls, go to my profile page! There is a link to it there!" **

**Favs and Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	8. Paintings and…Doujinshis?

**Hello, everyone. Wow, this was a pretty fast update (I think). I'm guessing most of you didn't like the last chapter because there were significantly less reviews this time around. Obviously, I was a little disappointed, but hopefully you'll like this chapter and review?**

**There was one reviewer who left me an awesome review, but I wasn't able to respond to her because she reviewed anonymously, therefore I'd like to reply here.**

**Thank you Sessy for that really thoughtful review, I'm glad you noticed this! Here is what she said: **_Anyway, it really made me appreciate her character more. And now I understand why Naruto is so set on keeping his promise to her. It kind of reminds me of Naruto's promise in the real anime. Like how he promised Sakura he would bring Sasuke back to her, and now when she's telling him to forget about the promise so he could just live his life happily. It is exactly the same, so kudos to you!_** I am so happy that you made the connection! Thanks again for leaving a review, and making me feel good about writing this!**

**This is beta'd by me so please excuse any grammatical errors and whatnot you may find!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Paintings and…Doujinshis?

Temari had about had it with the two brain dead professors. It had been three weeks since the damn rally and neither Sasuke nor Naruto had stepped foot within the four walls of the staff sanctuary. Well…there was that one time, but it didn't count. At least, to her it didn't.

Not only were the two numbskulls giving her a migraine but to top it all off, Neji was acting strangely as well. Ever since that blasted rally he'd been overly cautious. As if waiting for something to jump out and scare the living day lights out of him. She eyed him curiously, while sitting buttering her sesame seed bagel.

Neji timidly walked over to the coffee maker and stretched out a pale hand. One finger shaking slightly as he moved it closer towards the coffee pot. Temari raised one blonde, manicured eyebrow as the chestnut haired professor sighed in relief and gripped the plastic handle. Her mouth opened slightly in suprise when she saw Neji pull out a pair of tweezers from his pocket. It opened further as she watched him pluck a white Styrofoam cup out of the pile of cups stacked on the coffee table.

"Neji, what in God's name are you doing?"

Neji jumped, Styrofoam cup and tweezers falling nosily to the lacquered floor. Heart racing madly, the grey-eyed professor turned to look at the skeptical woman looking pointedly at him, hands on hips.

"Temari," Neji clutched at his chest, "Don't scare me like that!"

The blonde woman furrowed her eyebrows, "What's been with you lately? You're all jumpy."

"No I'm not."

"For God's sake, Neji! Every time a door opens, you got that deer in the headlights look. What the hell is going on?"

Neji slumped his shoulders and let out a weary sigh. Picking up his dropped belongings, he poured himself a large cup of coffee and took a seat beside a curious Temari.

"Remember how I told you guys about my conversation with Sasuke on the phone?" Neji said after a good minute of silence. Temari nodded her head, showing she remembered. "Well…after that…I got another call from him…telling me that…that…"

"Neji," Temari looked at him more closely. At once, she noticed large bags under the Hyuga's weary eyes. The porcelain skin that had been the envy of most of the female staff, had lost its shine, and stubble –something Temari had never seen upon the crisp and clean man, had made its home across Neji's jaw line.

"Neji?"

"He told me to watch my back like a mother eagle watching her young! His words, not mine. Sasuke and Naruto, apparently, have put some horrible revenge plan in motion.

It wasn't even my idea to have them kiss! I was just in charge of the rally! I am innocent! I should not be targeted like this!" Neji slammed his fist down hard on the table surface, "He told me to be careful when I go to the bathroom, be wary of hot liquids, check all door knobs before touching them…God, Temari! I have no fucking idea what they're going to do to me! I can't live like this! Can't they just get it over with, punish me for heaven's sake and let me live in peace!"

Temari stared at Neji for the next two minutes, waiting for the raging storm within the Hygua to subside.

"You know, Neji," Temari said after two bites of her bagel, "There is no revenge plan."

"Hn," Neji took a sip of his coffee, "Apparently, you do not know Sasuke and Naruto well enough."

"Okay then," Temari turned full face towards her companion, "Do you think Sasuke and Naruto could come up with some master evil plan of revenge to get back at you?"

"Yes."

"Together?"

"…"

"Can they work long enough, _together_, without killing each other first?"

"…"

"You've been suckered, Neji."

It was the first time and last, that Temari heard Neji scream.

:::

Naruto rushed across the campus in the cold November weather, scarf wrapped tightly about his neck. He was hoping to scuttle across the campus and make it into the small café across the college, without his bum freezing over. Naruto was sure that if he breathed out into the frigid air, his breath would freeze over and hail down on the ice-coated blades of grass standing erect on the side of the street. The sun was high in the sky, shining brightly down on the bustling people of Konoha. However, it was doing very little in the warming department. People were rushing to and from their cars, all eager to stay out of the cold winter weather as much as possible.

The blonde professor dashed to the small café, pulling the glass door open and sending a pair of bells above the door jingling. Striding purposefully towards the sales counter, Naruto smiled brightly. The young woman behind the cash register smiled back, a rosy glow appearing upon her pale complexion.

"Hello, Naruto!" she greeted, "What can I get you today?"

"Um," he looked at the glass display, trying to decide what he was in the mood for, "Give me the grilled chicken sandwich with the red peppers…and…a large cup of green tea. It's freezing outside," Naruto attempted a humorous shiver. The barista giggled, her large doe eyes shining brightly in merriment.

It had become somewhat of a routine for them. Naruto would attempt to say something witty or comical, and the chipper cashier would smile back, enjoying the ever-cheerful customer. Most of the customers that came into the café were either too busy or too rude to strike up a conversation. They wouldn't even look her in the eye when they placed their order and usually threw their cash upon the counter instead of handing it to her politely. Those with credit cards would flick the annoying piece of plastic in her face, and grow agitated if it took her more than thirty seconds to accomplish the payment. Naruto was different. He always had a smile and few nice words to say, even when he was in a hurry.

"Alright, coming up!" she turned towards the kitchen and hollered out Naruto's order. The blonde pulled out his wallet and paid for his meal, casually conversing with the young woman as the staff in back hurried to finish his order. When his meal was ready, the barista handed him a white ceramic plate with the grilled chicken sandwich sitting nicely to the side. Bright red, grilled peppers were arranged on the plate in little flowers.

"Hope you enjoy it," the woman handed him his steaming cup of tea.

"Believe it," Naruto grinned, "I will."

Taking his meal to a vacant table, Naruto sat down and took a sip of his green tea. The hot liquid burned the tip of his tongue, making the blonde flinch. However, that one single sip had already begun to run its course. Like flowing lava along a rocky volcano, it slowly ran down his throat heating everything in its wake. The heat was both welcoming and warming.

Digging into his meal Naruto began to eat, not even noticing when a familiar black head of hair walked through the café door and went to place an order. He was halfway done his sandwich when the chair in front of him scraped against the stone floor. Ocean blue eyes looked up to see Sai smiling down at him.

"I hope you don't mind me sitting here," he said, placing his plate of food on the table.

"No, not at all," Naruto moved his cup of tea to the side to make more room. "How are you doing, Sai? I feel as if I haven't seen you in forever."

"Yes," the pale skinned man nodded causing tendrils of sleek black hair to fall into his ebony eyes, "It would seem so."

"What you doing here at the café?"

"Eating," Sai spoke, "I feel that whenever I walk into the staff lounge, I'm always somehow kicked out. Not in an obvious way, but still –it's like your group of friends don't want me in there."

Naruto frowned, "That's strange."

Sai nodded, "Other professors have noticed too. It's just your group of friends always in there, spread throughout the room. The others feel out of place if they eat there, so they have taken to having their breaks in the cafeteria or just staying in their offices." He sighed, resting his chin on his palm, "It's like high school all over again…anyway, why are _you _here? I thought you'd be in the staff lounge."

"Well, I would be," the blonde grumbled, "But I don't want to run into that jerk." He said, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Sasuke?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. I haven't stepped into the staff lounge for like…three weeks now."

"Hmm," Sai took a sip of his cappuccino, a thoughtful expression on his face, "Does this have anything to do with what happened at the rally?"

Instantly, Naruto's cheeks flamed, "No," he sputtered, a little too fast.

"And pigs can fly," Sai rolled his eyes, "Listen, dickless…you can't let him ruin your life."

"I'm not," Naruto protested, "I like eating here. The food is good and the staff is nice."

"You know that's not what I mean," Sai muttered, taking another long sip, "I've seen how you've been running through the hallways. You're avoiding him."

"I am not!"

"You know, he's avoiding you too."

Naruto's eyebrows instantly rose in interest, "Really?"

"Yeah. He hasn't been in the staff lounge either. Also, I saw him secretly using a handheld mirror to spy on the hallways before walking through them." Sai let out a chuckle, "I think…he's worse off then you."

"You don't say," Naruto smirked before bringing his cup of tea to his lips. The news making him feel oddly…tingly on the inside.

"Anyway," Sai said after swallowing a bite of his grilled tofu, "There is something I've been meaning to ask you for some time now."

"What?" Naruto took another bite of his sandwich, all attention on Sai.

"Well…I've been selected to draw a piece for the Konoha Gallery. It's for the town's annual celebration of its heritage. You know the story, how this town was once bustling with ninjas, right? So anyway," Sai coughed –an attempt to gain him some time to compose himself, "I was wondering if you could model for me. For my painting."

"You want me to model for you?" Naruto dropped his sandwich as Sai nodded his head, "Wow. That is so cool! Of course I'll do it, Sai! What do you need me to do?"

Sai smiled, enjoying the way the blonde's face lit up like a kids' upon seeing a fireworks display for the first time, "Just come by my studio. I have the costume ready, as well as the backdrop. I'm going to need you to come in a few times so, is that okay?" Naruto nodded.

"Yeah sure, no problem. When do you want me to come in?"

"I was hoping we could start today."

"Alright," Naruto grinned, "I'm done teaching after five, so I'll come by after then."

"Perfect. I finish teaching at four. It gives me plenty of time to get ready," Sai reached across the table and took Naruto's hand, "Thank you so much."

The blonde smiled, stealthily pulling his hand out of the other's grip, "No problem."

:::

"This is ridiculous!" Sakura slammed her tray on the plastic tabletop making Kiba and Lee flinch in unison, "It's been three weeks already! Three weeks…and things haven't gotten better. In fact, they've gotten worse! Now, they're not even speaking to each other! Heck, they don't even see each other!"

"Stop yelling," Shikamaru grumbled, rubbing his temples, "We're all aware of the situation."

"Not to bring more bad news to the table, but," Kankuro picked out a sliver of carrot from his fried rice and moved it to the corner of his plate, where steadily a little orange pile was growing, "I've heard other professors talking about us."

"What are they saying?" Tenten asked.

"They're thinking of complaining about us to the board," Ino grumbled, cutting up her breaded chicken into bite size pieces. "They think that our 'plan' is childish and is disrupting our classes and our lectures. The Dean's bet at the rally was the last straw for them. A group of the other professors have gotten together and are constructing a letter to send to the boards."  
"What!" Sakura cried, "Why, those meddling hecklers!"

"Shikamaru," Kankuro looked squarely at the psychology professor, "I want Naruto and Sasuke to get along as much as the next guy here, but…I'm not going to lose my job over this."

"No one is going to lose their job," Shikamaru assured.

"How can you guarantee us that?" Shino said, stepping away from the food bar and heading towards the table, "What are you going to do?"

"Trust me," Shikamaru smirked, "Don't worry about it."

Later that day, Kiba and Shikamaru walked down towards the department that housed Genma and Raidou; the infamous pair of computer geeks. Naruto had let them know that he was going to be staying at the campus till eight, so the two friends had plenty of time to take care of...business.

Shikamaru walked into the computer lab with his hands in his pockets, his eyes trained on a hunched over form sitting in front of a computer, hard at work. Kiba trudged in behind him, his eyes instantly focusing on all the flashing computers screen sporting the Apple logo. Jealously, he stroked the large widescreen monitor, wondering how many more cups of instant ramen he'd have to eat to save enough money to buy himself one of those babies.

Shikamaru scratched his ear, blowing off the bits of earwax accumulated on the tip of his finger, "Genma."

The man at the computer straightened and turned around, a black tablet pen in his hand.

"Hey, Shikamaru! It's been a while since last you stepped into my domain."

The psychology professor shrugged his shoulders and approached the bandanna wearing man. Kiba dutifully followed behind, peering over his friend's shoulder and staring at Genma's computer screen.

What he saw made his eyes pop, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?"

:::

"This feels a little strange," Naruto tugged on the bandages Sai had wrapped expertly around his wrists.

"Don't worry about it," The art instructor advised, "You won't even notice it's there within an hour."

The blonde nodded, however he couldn't stop his fingers from picking at the white bandages. They were tight and restricting, Naruto couldn't help feeling as if a small snake had wrapped itself around each wrist and was slowly tightening its hold, attempting to block off the blood flow to his hands and fingers.

"Okay, Naruto" Sai had already assembled his easel. A paint stained t-shirt hugged the pale man as he stood before the blonde, one hand in his pocket, the other pointing a paintbrush at him in a threatening manner. Sai was in his element, and God have mercy on the poor soul who went against him now. Naruto presumed that the poor idiot who would, would find himself short an arm and a leg…probably decaying in some ditch by an unmarked lake. He shuddered. "Take the kunai in your mouth, bend your knee as if you're about to spring at me, pick up the shuriken and hold it behind you in your left hand and slightly angle your body to the right…a little more…no, that's too much…damn…hold on."

Sai stomped over to Naruto and adjusted him accordingly. The blonde almost fell over as Sai moved his leg back, the black baggy pants he was wearing got caught on a hook and nearly ripped. Sai growled and moved the dangerous hook out of the way, then went on to tie Naruto's boot that had chosen to loosen during their set up. The blonde swallowed the enormous amount of spit that had accumulated in his mouth in the short time frame, and began rethinking being a model as a good idea. Sai looked murderous as he retied the boot, his eyebrows angled down as his fingers worked furiously. He looked like a panther, dark and foreboding, teeth bared and frightening as ever. Naruto swallowed again, shifting the Kunai in his mouth and nearly cutting his cheek with it in the process.

"There," Sai stood, "I'm going to sketch your body quickly and then start concentrating on your head so you're going to have to be quiet. No talking. I'll try to work fast so you could get that thing out of your mouth, okay?"

Naruto nodded.

Sai frowned, and with both hands positioned Naruto's head in the way he envisioned. The blonde felt Sai smooth down some of his hair, arranging it in a way Naruto wasn't privy too. A few strands of shock blonde hair fell into his eye.

Sai took a step back, scrutinizing his model, "Okay. Now, don't move. At all." The artist rushed to his easel and stood behind it. All Naruto could see now were the bottom of Sai's paint ridden, denim jeans.

Ten minutes into his modeling, Naruto's arm was aching like there was no tomorrow. The burn in his muscles was excruciating and all he wanted to do was drop his arm and rub some heat into his biceps. Naruto couldn't feel the bandages anymore –that could be attributed to the fact that the feeling in his hands and fingers had long since departed. The nipples on his bare chest were hard from cold, and goose bumps had decided to permanently reside on his slightly bronzed skin.

Staring out the large bay window had proved useless, because they were so high up, all Naruto could see were the grey clouds accumulating in the sky like women at a weekend sale. Not a single star was visible. Just a lavender colored sky, with dark grey clouds floating kilometers above the tallest building. He wondered if it might snow, it was sure cold enough for it.

Sai had finished sketching all of Naruto's anatomy. He quickly glanced over at his model, noticing the slight wince on the blonde man's face.

"I'm moving to your face now," Sai called, "When I finish drawing the mouth, I'll let you have a break to relax your muscles."

Sai slightly relaxed his hold on the pencil in his hand and trained his eyes on the other's mouth. After a minute or so, he began to draw. His eyes moved rapidly from his easel to Naruto, constantly adding to his drawing. He was almost done sketching the handle of the kunai when he heard Naruto whine.

"Give me another five minutes, Naruto," Sai said, "I'm almost done."

Another whine erupted, this one more desperate.

Sai shook his head and continued, perfecting every line until he was satisfied with his product, "Alright, you can move." He heard the kunai clatter to the wooden floor. A stream of choice words followed as Naruto's arms sagged down.

"Now, that wasn't so bad?" Sai came around his easel and approached the blonde who lay collapsed on the floor.

"This better be worth it," Naruto muttered, rubbing his arms.

Sai put his hands on the blonde's shoulders and started to rub in an effort to relax those muscles which he had made his friend strain. They sat in silence for some time. Naruto rested while Sai massaged the blonde's bare back.

After a good ten minutes, Sai stood. "Okay, I need you to take up the pose again."

"Ugh," Naruto griped, "My muscles still ache."

"Please, Naruto," Sai begged, "You can have your arms down for now, I'll work on your legs."

"Fine."

The blonde took up his pose as Sai situated himself behind his easel. After five minutes of silences, Naruto began to speak.

"Why did you want me to model for you? Was there a specific reason?"

"Indeed," Sai answered, "You remember the story of that young ninja boy whose father had been the fourth hokage? He later became hokage himself, you know?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, "Everyone knows that story. All the teachers made us read them during heritage week in school."

"Well, I wanted to draw him," Sai drew the curve of Naruto's boot, "I wanted to draw the part right before he went into battle with his lover."

"They weren't lovers, Sai," Naruto corrected, "They were best friends."

"Sure," Sai rolled his eyes, "Like any normal guy would chase his friend across the world even when said friend told him to 'leave him the hell alone'…the dudes were so gay. They even lived together after he brought him back to Konoha."

"Whatever," Naruto sighed, "It's just rumor. No one knows for sure that they lived together. In fact, it's not even clear if he did bring him back."

"_Anyway_," Sai stressed the word, "They say the guy had golden blonde hair and eyes bluer than the sky itself, not to mention his name was Naruto. So I thought you would make a perfect Naruto, Naruto."

"Hardy har har," Naruto said, "I'm not even sure if my parents were the ones to name me or not. It's most likely that the orphanage named me right before gramps adopted me."

"Another similarity in my book."

"Well, I'm not gay."

"I laugh at you," Sai mock laughed all the while concentrating on his work, "I think the relationship you and Sasuke have models the one the ninja Naruto had with his 'best friend.'"

"That's where you're deeply mistaken," Naruto butted in, "I hate that jerk with a passion that can rival the heat radiated from a hundred suns!"

"Yeah, and I think Choji is skinny."

"Ugh."

"Weren't you best friends once? I distinctly remember hearing someone say that you and Sasuke were once very close."

Naruto focused on a lump of clay sitting on a table a few meters away, "That was a long time ago."

"What happened?" Sai asked curiously.

"He betrayed me."

"When?"

"In third grade."

Sai stopped his pencil and withdrew it from the canvas. Was the English professor that stupid? He marched from behind his easel until he was standing before his half-naked model.

"Down," he commanded, "We're taking a break."

Naruto plopped down on the floor, not very tired this time, "I could have gone a bit longer."

"That's not why we're taking a break," Sai sat beside him, tucking his pencil behind one ear. He trained his eyes on Naruto, looking at him skeptically.

The blonde squirmed under the scrutinizing gaze, feeling like a child who was about to be reprimanded. "What?" he finally said.

"Are you really that stupid?" Sai said in a matter of fact voice, "You're holding something that happened in elementary school over Sasuke's head? Honestly, I thought you were smarter than that."

"Hey," Naruto responded in a warning tone, "I got a D in that class because of him! Not to mention I got grounded and a detention!"

"Did you ever ask Sasuke why he betrayed you?" Sai inquired.

"He said that he didn't!"

"How do you know he did then?"

Naruto groaned, why was everyone bringing this up again! First Kiba now Sai? What gives? "Michiru, a kid in our class saw him telling the professor on me. He told me he heard everything. After he told me, I went to Sasuke, angry and hurt. We were friends and he betrayed me! I didn't cheat on that test, Sai! What hurt the most was that Sasuke lied twice! First to our teacher, then to me! Friends don't do that."

Sai fiddled with the paintbrush lying on the floor, his brow creased in concentration, "What else did Sasuke say? Other than he didn't do it."

Naruto sighed, already starting to feel that sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. It churned, crawling up his throat, constricting it and making him feel like shit, "That's it. He didn't say anything else. After saying he didn't do it, he kept quiet. I asked him why he was lying to me because Michiru saw him and all, but he didn't say a word. Not one single word."

"Hm," Sai stood, stretching his limbs, "That is puzzling. C'mon, break is over. Strike your pose, dickless."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the smiling artist, not really feeling the joking mood at that moment, "Sai, shove it." However, he did stand and get back into the position he was in before, this time, taking up the shuriken and lifting his arms. Sai went back to his easel and continued to draw, though his thoughts still swirled around what Naruto said. It was strange. Strange that the Uchiha had not tried to defend himself if indeed he thought himself innocent.

He glanced at Naruto. The man had a distant look on his face. In a way, he resembled a puppy who had been denied his favorite game of ball, floppy golden ears drooping and eyes holding all the sadness in the world. Sai found himself staring at the cobalt blue orbs, noticing that they looked a little darker than before. It might have been the lighting, but Sai could bet his best paintbrush that the darkness in Naruto's eyes could be attributed to one specific person. A raven haired professor who held the answer to the question Sai wanted an answer too.

After this session, he was most certainly going to find the Uchiha and worm an answer out of the prideful man. He grinned to himself as he continued to draw. If any onlooker had passed by the studio and spotted the grinning man, they would have thought Alice had brought the Cheshire cat back to the real world with her.

:::

"Holy shit, Genma!" Shikamaru stared in horror.

"It's a yaoi doujinshi," Genma replied calmly.

"I REPEAT," Kiba was now pointing an accusatory finger at the screen, his voice rising in pitch creating a perfect chromatic scale, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?"

"It's not porn!" a door on the side flew open and a panicking Raidou rushed into the computer lab, "I can assure that I was assigned to Photoshop that picture for the next iss–" Upon finding Kiba staring at Genma's computer screen, Raidou straightened, "Oh…yeah, that's porn."

"There are two naked guys wrapped around each other!" Kiba screeched, "That is not porn! Porn is two hot naked girls wrapped around each other!"

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at the inked page on screen. He grabbed the mouse and clicked on the next window of the Photoshop program.

"Oh my God, Shikamaru!" Kiba took the mouse in an attempt to make it go back to the less graphic page, "My eyes! My innocence! Gone! Never to return!"

"Genma," Shikamaru said in a voice that made the older man's skill crawl. He involuntarily shivered and for some reason, couldn't make himself look into the narrowed eyes of the younger man, "I'm only going to ask you once. Why the hell are you drawing a comic where Naruto and Sasuke are having sex?"

Genma gulped his eyes landing on Raidou who wisely edged away from the psychology nut, "It's for the yaoi con Raidou and I are going to this weekend. I wanted to finish up this doujinshi before the con, that's why I was working on it here."

"I didn't know you guys were gay," Kiba said shocked.

"We aren't!" Raidou said from behind.

"It helps us pick up girls."

"What?"

Genma sighed, "At yaoi cons there are a lot of cute girls around. The greatest thing about yaoi con is that no one can attend unless their eighteen or over. It's perfect for meeting girls! And these girls aren't your average run on the mill female. These girls are awesome –"

"–And hot!" Raidou added.

"We sell my doujinshis at the con, earning ourselves a female following! Not only do these girls ask us to hang out but, they willingly give us their numbers! Willingly! No begging!" Genma cried out, eyes shining, "They actually want to go out with us computer junkies!"

"So you're hunting," Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "Women."

"YEAH!" Genma grinned.

"You sick, sick twisted man," Shikamaru shook his head in disgust.

"Well, we don't all have women throwing themselves at us, Nara," Raidou grouched, "I have a fucking scar on my face! The girls at yaoi con think it's hot! The girls here…think I lost a fight with a garbage truck."

"But why did you pick Naruto and Sasuke?" Kiba pointed out, "Couldn't you have like, I dunno…maybe made SOME CHARACTERS UP?"

"Woah," Genma leaned back in his chair, away from the flying spittle hurtling at him at an incredible speed, "I need inspiration for these things! I maybe good with drawing, but I need to base my peeps of real people. Sasuke and Naruto were the perfect models, and they're both gay!"

"Naruto's bi!"

"Same thing," Genma waived Kiba off, "I don't think they'll mind."

"Want to bet?"Shikamaru said wryly.

"What brings you guys here, anyway?" Raidou said in an attempt to change the topic.

"Right," Shikamaru sighed, "I need you two to take care of a little problem."

The two older men exchanged looks, small smiles creeping onto their faces, "What sort of problem?"

"I need you two to hack into the college board's computer, delete a certain e-mail and send a reply e-mail back to its sender. It appears some professors here at Konoha don't approve of our little plan."

"Ah," Genma nodded, he looked like the cat that just ate the canary, "So you want it to look like the board read the letter but didn't think it worth their time, correct?"

Shikamaru nodded, "Kotetsu and Izumo are going to help. They will let us all know when the e-mail has been sent. Can you do this?"

Genma and Raidou exchanged looks, "Piece of cake," Raidou bumped his fist against his cohorts.

"Piece of cake indeed," Genma replied back.

"Great," Shikamaru smirked, "Raidou, I'll go over details with you, in that office," he pointed towards the door Raidou had emerged from.

"Hey!" Genma called, "What about me?"

"You can go back to drawing your porn," Shikamaru turned, mumbling under his breath, "Pervert."

Kiba rolled over a chair next to Genma and sat beside him, "So what's the comic about? It can't be all about sex, can it?"

"Neh," Genma said, taking up his tablet pen, "There is a plot."

"What's it called?"

"Masquerade." (1)

Kiba watched as Genma pressed the pen to a black tablet. In the panel Genma was working on, Naruto and Sasuke were lying in bed barely covered by the poor excuse of a blanket. Genma was adding detail to Naruto's hair, making it more realistic looking. He then added the scars, three distinct lines on each cheek. Dropping the tablet pen, he stared at his finished panel in admiration. This was perfect. Nothing could make this panel any better.

"Hey," Kiba said, "Naruto's scars aren't _that_ visible."

Genma grumbled, "Everyone's a critic."

* * *

**(1)Masquerade- a oneshot I wrote that can be found on my profile**

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. This one wasn't heavy (unlike the last chapter). Now today we have someone special coming to speak to you readers. Please welcome, ITACHI!"**

"**Yes, thank you for that warm welcome," Itachi nodded his head politely, "Now I understand that there was a slight problem."**

**Author nods her head sadly, "Yes. I'm afraid there was."**

"**I see," the Uchiha nodded, "Very well. Let me take care of it. SHARINGAN!"**

**Author squeezes eyes shut.**

"**HOW DARE YOU LEAVE OUR BELOVED AUTHOR IN SUCH A MESS! SHE SPENT DAYS IN BED, CRYING HER LOVELY EYES OUT –"**

"–**Not really, I was just kind of sad th–"**

"**I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS INSULT! THIS INJUSTICE! THIS SLANDER UPON EVERYTHING THAT IS UCHIHA!"**

"**Um," Author squeaks, "I'm not an Uchi–"**

"**I WILL NOT LET THIS MAGNIFICENT WOMAN WRITE ANOTHER WORD UNLESS SHE GETS THE REVIEWS SHE DESERVES! UNDERSTAND?MARK MY WORDS, YOU INSUBORDINATE HECKLERS! FEAR ME FOR I AM ITACHI UCHIHA! HEAD OF AKATSUKI INTERNATIONAL. FRIEND OF THY ENEMIES! I SHALL NOT LET THIS CONTINUE!"**

"**Oh my God," Author runs to door, "Kisame! Help! Itachi has gone crazy!"**

**Heavy footfalls could be heard growing louder as they grow closer. Seconds later, a man, with skin that you could have sworn was blue rushed in. He eyed his bellowing friend closely.**

"**AH! KISAME!" ITACHI THUNDERED, "COME HELP ME PUNISH THOSE WHO REFUSE TO REVIEW THE STORY OF OUR LIVES! COME FRIEND, LET US MAKE WAR!"**

"**What got him all crazed?" Kisame whispers to author who smiles awkwardly.**

"**Well, there weren't many reviews last chapter so I asked Itachi to help boost them, you know? But…he kind of went on a rampage. So I'm afraid of losing my readers. Can you kindly shut him up?"**

**Kisame grinned, "With pleasure." Kisame turned towards the raging Uchiha, "Hey, Itachi! Let's go devise an evil plan to get all those readers who don't review this time, eh?"**

"**SOUNDS LIKE A BRILLIANT IDEA, KISAME! LET US GO AND PLAN!" Itachi, shook author's hand politely before grabbing Kisame by the shirt-tails and pulling him out the door, "LET US PLAN THEIR DEMISE!"**

**Leave a review so Itachi doesn't kill you!**

**And fav for good measure ^_-**


	9. See No Evil Hear No Evil Speak No Evil 1

**Hey guys, sorry for the late update. I had wanted to post this up last Wednesday but my grandmother had been taken to the hospital. So I spent most of last week with her. Hospitals suck and smell weird. Hate them *shudders***

**Anyway, thanks for all the feedback! Made me happy to hear that so many of you enjoy this story.**

**As you can see, this chapter is labeled part 1. I am currently finishing up part 2 and depending on the amount of reviews I receive, I can have the next chapter up as early as Tuesday or Wednesday. Alright then, HAPPY READING!**

* * *

Chapter 9: See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil-Part 1

Naruto continued to make his weekly pilgrimages to Sai's studio and upon every visit, he would ask the pale skinned artist if he could take a look at the progression of the painting. Sai would shake his head vehemently, insisting it be a surprise. A look would be exchanged between the two before Sai would smile sternly and tell his model to have to more patience and wait for the unveiling at the exhibition like everyone else. The blonde would then grumble to himself sourly, cross his arms and tell Sai he was being a prick.

Nevertheless, as time passed Naruto grew tired of badgering the man and decided to wait unobjectionably like the rest of the populace. However, it didn't mean he wasn't still excited. In fact, the whole ordeal made him even more impatient.

"I can't wait for the damn exhibition," Naruto whined in Sai's direction while standing in the pose the artist had instructed, "It's too far away!"

"Not really," Sai picked up a smaller paintbrush, "It's in March."

"Exactly!" Rolling his eyes, the blonde turned his head towards the artist who was working diligently at his easel, "It's only December! Are you really going to make me wait?"

"Yes," the other said without hesitation.

Muttering under his breath, Naruto turned his head back in the direction of the window and stared out at the grey sky.

Sai looked up from his painting, a small smile on his face as he looked at his model, "Have you seen Sasuke today?"

Instantly, Naruto's face took on a different look. The blonde sucked in his cheeks slightly, furrowed his brow a little and scrunched up his nose as if he'd just smelled a rather unpleasant odor.

"He was in the staff lounge today," Sai continued, "He ate a banana."

"And I care because?"

Sai shrugged, trying to conceal the growing smirk on his face, "Because you've got the hots for him."

"I do not!" The blonde shrieked, outraged.

"Hm," Sai shifted the palate in his hold as he dabbed a paintbrush into a glob of rich, coffee ground colored paint, "Could have fooled me."

"I hate that guy," Naruto insisted.

"That doesn't mean you don't find him attractive."

"Ugh," breaking his pose, Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose as a slight pink hue appeared on his cheeks, "I never said he wasn't attractive."

"So you do admit it."

Naruto grunted, his shoulders sagging a little before he looked at Sai, "Yes. He's got the whole tall, dark and handsome thing going for him –with his stupid ivory complexion and darker than black, ebony hair…but he's still an asshole."

"True," Sai grinned, "But he's a fuckingly hot asshole."

"Whatever," Naruto growled out. He had enough talk about Sasuke for one day, so changing the subject he continued, "Sakura is going to be staying with us for a few days. Her apartment is getting repainted."

Sai shrugged, not really a Sakura lover. "Why doesn't she stay with Ino and Choji?" Accidently dropping his paintbrush Sai cursed and bent over to pick it up.

"Ino and Choji are…" Naruto found himself searching for a word to describe his two friends without appearing crude.

"Annoying? Bad cooks? Have weird fetishes? Place smells funky?" Sai suggested, earning himself a weird look from the blonde.

"Loud."

"Loud?" Sai quirked an eyebrow, "You mean–"

"Yeah," Naruto scratched his head, "When they go at it…they _really_ go at it. Besides, I don't mind Sakura staying with us. She's coming over tomorrow and then we're going grocery shopping."

:::

"She is not sleeping with you, Naruto," Kiba crossed his arms and glared at his best friend, "I don't want a repeat of last time's performance."

"Well then where is she going to sleep?" Naruto checked the clock. Sakura was going to be here any minute and the three of them were standing in the middle of the living room at an impasse. Kiba was tapping his foot angrily against the carpeted floor with eyes so narrow he could have been mistaken for a mole. While Shikamaru just stood there staring at him with his hands in his pockets, neither arguing his side nor defending against it. "She won't feel comfortable sleeping with any of you!"

"She could sleep on the couch." Kiba offered, gesturing to the leather couch in front of the television.

Naruto's gaze intensified, icy blue eyes glared angrily at his longtime friend. "She is not sleeping on the couch, Kiba."

With a heavy sigh, Shikamaru closed his eyes and spoke, "I have an idea."

"What?" The two men shouted. Their eyes now focused on their lazy friend.

"Why can't one of you take the couch and give Sakura your room?"

"I don't want to sleep on the couch!" Kiba stated loudly, "Why do I have to sleep on the couch? Why can't either of you sleep on the couch?" He said as he looked from Naruto to Shikamaru.

"I have back problems," Shikamaru said rather quickly.

"There are too many light sources out here," Naruto grumbled, "I need complete darkness to fall asleep."

"How about you two share a room then?" Shikamaru suggested, already tired with this pointless argument. Kiba and Naruto grew quiet as they thought over Shikamaru's suggestion.

"I'm game," Naruto said after a minute.

"Just think of it as a sleepover," Shikamaru stated as he moved towards the kitchen, "You've had sleepovers before and if I recollect, you and Naruto shared a bed many times before."

"Whatever," Kiba sighed, "I guess its fine."

Opening the refrigerator door, Shikamaru groaned when his eyes took in shelf after shelf of emptiness, "As soon as she gets here go grocery shopping. There isn't a blasted thing in this hell hole."

Nodding, Naruto turned to head for his room, intent on getting a few shirts and pairs of pants to throw inside Kiba's place. He took four steps forward before his eyes landed on Akamaru's prone figure sleeping by his bedroom door, blocking the blonde's way inside. Groaning to himself Naruto got to his knees and pushed the two hundred pound blockage away from his door. The dog's nose twitched but other than that, he continued to sleep soundly. Amazed by the amount of laziness oozing out from the hound, Naruto shook his head in wonder. He then stood from his knees and entered his room, opening the closet door and grabbing the first things he saw.

Sakura arrived at the apartment a few minutes later, with a quick smile laced with feminine charm (that has men still baffled to this very day), she had Kiba and Shikamaru helping her bring her things in, much to the chagrin of the two men.

Kiba grumbled to himself as he balanced a suitcase and two bags on his trek back to the apartment. Shikamaru was muttering something about women and their over incessant need to pack _way_ more than necessary. Naruto had changed the sheets on his bed, and by the time Shikamaru and Kiba had brought everything inside, he was ready. Waving their goodbyes to the two suddenly worn out men, Sakura and Naruto left.

Kiba sniffed his armpit after a minute and wrinkled his nose, "I need a shower."

The other man nodded, noticing the appearance of sweat stains on the red t-shirt the brunette was wearing.

Walking into his room, Kiba grabbed a towel from under a pile of clothes on his chair and strode to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, filching a little bit of Naruto's favorite shower gel in the process. After finishing, he stepped out of the shower, grabbed the towel he had brought with him and wrapped it firmly around his waist. Throwing open the door he walked out of the bathroom, "Shower is free!" He yelled.

Shikamaru lazily turned his head from his signature position on the couch and grunted. Shuffling into his room, Kiba began scavenging for a pair of clean boxers.

His eyes quickly shifted to the overflowing hamper in the corner and sighed. Checking in his drawer, he found not a single pair of clean underwear. So sitting on his bed with the towel still wrapped around himself, he began to think.

Stealing a pair of Shikamaru's boxers was out of the question. Unfortunately, the smartest member of their gang had the nasty ability of noticing anything amiss. Kiba had once borrowed one of Shikamaru's designer shirts, a black button down with the Versace emblem on the left hand breast pocket. He had been going on a date that night and wanted to appear sophisticated and worldly.

Shikamaru hadn't been present when he took the shirt, but ten minutes after coming home from work, the sharp eyed Nara marched into Kiba's room, punched him in the face, grabbed his shirt and muttered, 'troublesome,' while shaking his head. Needless to say, Kiba had to cancel his date and decided never to borrow anything from the neurotic man ever again.

Naruto on the other hand, was a scatterbrain just like him, albeit maybe a little better. Not to mention he wasn't even home. Making up his mind, Kiba opened his door and snuck into the blonde's bedroom. He shuffled over to the dresser, pulled open the underwear drawer, and began ruffling through it looking for a pair of boxers that suited his fancy. His eyes narrowed when he spotted a pair of boxers with a dog bone pattern.

"Hey," wrinkling his nose, "These are fucking mine!"

Grabbing them he was about to shut the drawer when something in the corner caught his eye. Not one to usually respect Naruto's privacy, Kiba moved an orange pair of boxers that was concealing the mysterious object and when he did, alarm bells began going off in his head.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," he repeated to himself as he picked up the small velvet box, "Please don't be what I think it is. Please, oh please, don't be it."

Shutting his eyes tightly, Kiba opened the box. His mind whirled like a propeller, trying to think of what other things a velvet box like this could contain.

A necklace.

A pendent.

Maybe some earrings? Hinata's birthday was coming up.

Yeah, it was probably a gift. No need to worry.

He opened his eyes and cringed. A large diamond ring was sitting amidst the black velvet. Sparkling mockingly at him, as if trying to say, 'Yeah, loser. I'm a fucking engagement ring and I'm gonna screw you in the ass!'

"SHIKAMARU!" Kiba yelled with all the breath he had in his body.

The door flew open with a massive bang, chipping some of the paint off the wall as Shikamaru bounded into the room, "Wha –damn it, Kiba! Put on some pants!"

The brunette looked down at himself. He hadn't even noticed the towel had slipped and fallen from his waist. That was how shocked he was.

"Fuck," he grabbed his boxers and quickly put them on before throwing the velvet box to Shikamaru, "Take a look at this."

Catching it, Shikamaru's hand trembled as he opened the lid. His stomach dropped when his eyes landed on the diamond ring sitting prettily in the velvet box, "Shit."

:::

Naruto grinned as he rode the elevator up to his apartment, arms full of grocery bags. Sakura had her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the numbers slowly, no faster than a turtle's pace, change on the elevator screen. At times like these, Sakura believed god was toying with her. She glanced at Naruto, biting her lip. He looked content as he shifted a bag in his arms and his smile seemed genuine. It would have been nice if she knew he wasn't faking it. Scowling, Sakura pushed the emergency button and stopped the elevator.

"What are you doing?" Naruto said, startled. The shrilling of the alarm bell sounded inducing a wince to spread over his face.

"Why won't you talk to Sasuke?" She asked.

Immediately, Naruto's brow furrowed in displeasure, "Sakura–"

"You're acting like a child!" She glared at him, "At least he has the balls to face you! He's not running away like a scared little kid at the first sight of you! What the hell is your problem?" Naruto glared back, "I'm not running!"

"He's been in the staff lounge for the past two weeks, and you haven't stepped foot in it since your stupid kiss!"

"I–"

"Oh please, Naruto," Sakura rolled her eyes, "Don't feed me some bullshit. You're still avoiding him. Everyone can see that."

"Just drop it, okay?" Naruto growled, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why?" She asked, "Why are you so determined to stop this? I know you like him–"

"I don't!"

"Yeah right," Sakura snorted, "And I'm the queen of England. If you didn't feel anything, you wouldn't be avoiding him like you're doing now. Admit it," she smirked, "You find him attractive."

"FINE! He's attractive," Naruto spat, "Now please, release the elevator before they call the fire department. These bags aren't as light as they appear to be either!" Naruto shifted their groceries again, "Please."

"Alright," Sakura pressed the button and the ringing of the bell seized, "But this conversation is far from over."

"When is it?" Naruto grumbled, thanking the heavens that he was going to be sharing a room with Kiba instead of with the female version of devil incarnate.

They entered the apartment and Naruto quickly walked into the kitchen, depositing his load onto the granite countertop. He heaved a sigh, stretching his fingers and muscles as Shikamaru and Kiba walked into the kitchen.

"Hey."

"Hey," they responded.

Kiba looked like he was itching to say something so Naruto asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing," Shikamaru responded for Kiba, who all of a sudden developed a tic of the left eye.

Naruto smirked, "He looks like he's going to go into epileptic shock at any moment now."

"Nah," Shikamaru slapped Kiba hard on the back, forcing the man to release the air held captive within his lungs, "He's just dreading doing the dance."

"Yeah," Kiba coughed, shooting Shikamaru a dirty look.

"I got the CD!" Sakura called from the living room, "Get your asses over here!"

Three heads drooped in unison and slowly shuffled out of the kitchen.

Kiba looked like he was going to attempt murder.

Shikamaru seemed like all of a sudden he got a whiff of something truly awful.

Naruto…well, Naruto just appeared liked he wanted the ground to suddenly open up and swallow him whole.

"I'm waiting," Sakura grinned at them from her seat on the couch. Legs crossed, she waited for the boys to take position before hitting the play button.

:::

Early Monday morning, Shikamaru woke to the annoying sound of the alarm going off. Cursing under his breath, he stretched out one long arm and silenced it by banging his fist over the assortment of buttons. As he sat up, he attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes while at the same time stifling a yawn.

He hated Mondays.

Mondays entailed waking up before the moon had a chance to disappear over the horizon. Something the lazy man was not fond of doing. Kicking away the blankets, he stood from bed and shuffled to the bathroom. A low grow escaped the man's throat before he muttered to himself about women and their incessant need to preen. In one fell swoop, he moved all of Sakura's crap to the side so he could find his toothbrush. After a minute of rummaging, he grabbed the toothpaste and squeezed out a decent amount of paste onto his green toothbrush.

He began to brush his teeth while walking out of the bathroom to look at the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall a few feet away. His shoulders drooped when he saw that there were still two and a half weeks left until Finals started.

Grumbling to himself, he strode out of the kitchen and headed to Kiba's room to wake the two still sleeping professors. Pushing the door open, he nearly tripped over Akamaru who was inconveniently sleeping right by the door. Cursing to himself he was about to rudely awaken the two men by turning on the lights when he heard a sound that made the blood in his veins freeze over.

"Ah…mrngh…mngh…mngh…"

He approached the bed cautiously, praying Naruto hadn't decided to molest Kiba in his sleep. When he got close enough, he saw that the blonde was in fact sleeping like the dead, his mouth slightly open and lying on his side facing Shikamaru. A smirk played across his face as the man realized that the noises were coming from Kiba. The brunette had one arm wrapped securely about the blonde's waist as he rubbed against his bedmate's backside. Shikamaru stifled a laugh, taking the toothbrush out of his mouth so he wouldn't gag or choke on it in his attempt to remain impassive.

Kiba was having a wet dream and was currently using a sleeping Naruto as a humping post. It was all incredibly funny until he heard the next few words tumble out of the brunette's mouth.

"…mngh…yeah… …ah…Naru…mngh…yes…"

The toothbrush automatically fell from his shaking hand as Shikamaru started choking, having swallowed a good amount of toothpaste in his shock. When his coughing fit finally subsided, the man took a few steps back and rubbed harshly at his face.

"Holy shit," he whispered to himself nearly falling over Akamaru a second time within the span of ten minutes. The dog grunted, lifting its head from the floor. Shikamaru looked down at the white mastiff. His eye catching sight of one of Akamaru's favorite chew toys. In the blink of an eye, Shikamaru bent down, grabbed the chew toy and tossed it onto the bed where his two friends slept while muttering a quick, 'fetch.'

Instantly, Akamaru jumped to his feet and with a loud bark hurled himself onto the bed, landing directly on the two sleeping men. Shikamaru flicked on the lights just as he heard Kiba's voice yell out an oath. Naruto gave an indignant cry as he fell from the bed, taking the blankets with him. He looked up from the floor, bleary eyed but awake. Akamaru grabbed his prized possession and thundered down from the bed, running towards Shikamaru.

"Time to get up," he muttered before leaving the room.

An hour later, Shikamaru drove the car into the parking lot. The sky had just barely begun to lighten. Driving into a parking place, Shikamaru pulled his keys from the ignition and cleared his throat, loudly. Kiba and Naruto sat yawning in the back, half asleep.

"Man, my head is killing me," Naruto complained, rubbing his forehead.

"Well then you shouldn't have drunk so much," Kiba said.

Naruto glared at his friend, "You would have too if you had Sakura lecturing you again."

"Then just fucking talk to the Uchiha so Sakura could shut the hell up!" Kiba yelled.

The blonde undid his seatbelt and opened the car door, "I don't want to."

"Then quit complaining," Kiba grumbled, following Naruto out the door.

The three walked towards the college building quietly.

As they headed inside, Naruto left them to go to his office while the other two continued on to the staff lounge. To their surprise, they found Sai sitting at the table sipping his coffee with a small smile plastered to his rather pale face.

"Sai?" Kiba looked curiously at the art instructor, "What the hell are you doing here so early in the morning?"

The ebony haired man straightened up, eyes concentrating themselves on Shikamaru, "I came to speak with you, Nara."

"Me?" Shikamaru blinked, "About what?"

Sai grinned, "I know how to get Sasuke and Naruto together."

Shikamaru stilled, the hands in his pockets tightened around their contents making the car keys in his left hand dig painfully into the tender flesh of his palm, "I don't know what you're talking about," he answered calmly.

Sai rolled his eyes, "Sure you don't." He stood from his seat and walked over to the suddenly stiff looking psychology professor, "Almost all the professors know about it. You and your friends are trying to get Sasuke and Naruto together. Admit it."

"Look Sai," Kiba started, "I don't know where the fuck you got your information from bu–"

"Alright," Shikamaru cut Kiba off, "We are trying to make Sasuke and Naruto get along –but why are you…all of a sudden interested in helping us? I thought you wanted Naruto all for yourself?" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sai let out a small chuckle, "I'm not interested in Naruto that way."

"Really?" Kiba looked crossly at the skinny man, "Because it looked to me like you really wanted to get in his pants."

"Oh I do," Sai said, "Who wouldn't want to fuck that guy? He's hot!"

Shikamaru's eyes quickly darted to Kiba's face, trying to see if Sai's comment had any visual affect on the biology professor.

"Then why would you help us?" Kiba spat angrily.

Sai shrugged his shoulders, a frown appearing on his face, "Because Naruto is also my friend. I don't like seeing him upset and besides, I want him to be happy," he sighed, "Plus, I know he doesn't think of me that way. Probably never will."

Kiba's expression softened a little and he gave a slight nod of the head, "So what do you have in mind?"

"I'm planning on locking the two of them in my studio overnight," Sai said without hesitation. He took a sip of his coffee and stared at the two blank faces.

"What?"

"What will that achieve?" Shikamaru crossed to the other side of the room and grabbed an apple from the fruit bin, biting into it as he took a seat at the round table.

"I've got one name for you," Sai grinned. The face he made had the hairs on Kiba's arms standing on end. "Michiru."

"Michiru?" Kiba wrinkled his nose.

Sai heaved a sigh, "Just listen, you idiot." He cleared his throat and began to explain.

_Sai knocked on the Uchiha's door and when he heard a muttered 'come in,' grabbed the handle and walked inside. Sasuke's eyebrows rose in question when he saw him, "Is there something you need?"_

_Sai closed the door behind him and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Sasuke's desk, "Tell me what happened with you, Naruto, and Michiru."_

_Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "Get out."_

"_Did you tell on him? Was he right to assume you betrayed him?" Sai pressed._

"_Out." Sasuke said more loudly, his hand turning into a fist as his eyebrows drew together._

"_What happened?"Sai asked again._

_Sasuke's chair fell backwards as the Uchiha got to his feet. He came around his desk, grabbed Sai by the shirt collar, opened his office door and flung the art professor out, shutting the door with a bang behind him._

Kiba frowned, "That's it? How the hell does that explain things?"

Sai refrained from standing up and tossing Kiba out of the room himself. Instead, he cleared his throat, "It all comes down to that event that happened during your third grade year. If we can get them to talk about it, they might find out what really happened. If they can forgive each other that, then all the fighting that happened after it could be forgiven as well."

"How do you intend to make them talk about it?" Shikamaru asked.

Sai took a sip of his coffee, "I'm going to paint the name _Michiru_ on a canvas and hang it up on the wall before I lock them inside. I'll make up some story how it's a project a student of mine had been working on. Maybe I'll make it a calligraphy project…" Sai shrugged his shoulders.

"That doesn't necessarily mean that they'll talk about it."

Taking another sip of coffee Sai grunted, "It's Naruto. He'll bring it up after the name has been staring him in the face for a couple of hours."

The door to the staff lounge creaked open, admitting a sleepy looking Neji. He greeted the three men before shuffling over to the coffee pot and pouring himself a large cup of black coffee.

Hey, Neji," Shikamaru said suddenly, "Do you remember Michiru from grade school?"

The milky-eyed man frowned, "No…remember, I was a year ahead of you and we didn't become close until sixth grade."

"Michiru was the kid that told Naruto that Sasuke ratted him out," Shikamaru informed the other professor, "However, we don't know Sasuke's side of the story since he never talked about it."

"I see," Neji stirred his cup of coffee with a spoon before bringing it to the table and sitting down amongst his peers, "Well, he probably wrote about it in his journal."

Shikamaru perked up, "His journal?"

Neji nodded, "Yes. Sasuke has kept a journal ever since his father gave him his first one in first grade. He writes in it religiously and when he's finished with it, he stores it away. So he probably still has the one he wrote whenever this event happened," Neji took a sip of his coffee and smiled, "Delicious."

"So the answer to all our questions lies within Sasuke's journal," Sai stated.

"I've been meaning to ask," Neji cleared his throat, "Not to seem rude but, what the hell is _he_ doing here?" Neji stared at Sai.

"New member," Shikamaru replied.

"Ah," nodding his head, Neji took another sip.

"Where does he keep this journal again?" Sai asked the Hyuga.

Neji shrugged, "They're all somewhere in his apartment. Sasuke doesn't like throwing things out," he wrinkled his nose, "Makes him an awfully annoying roommate."

Before Sai could ask, Kiba answered, "Neji and Sasuke roomed together at college."

"I stayed at Sasuke's apartment for a couple months as well when I was looking for a new place," Neji stated.

"Do you still have a key?" Shikamaru asked.

Neji nodded.

"Alright," Shikamaru smirked, "Who here is really curious about what really happened that day, with Michiru, that caused a fight to escalate between Naruto and Sasuke that's lasted for over fifteen years?"

Three fingers went up in the air.

"Good," Shikamaru grinned, "Because I got a plan."

"What?" Kiba asked excitedly.

Leaning back in his chair Shikamaru stated plainly, "We break into Sasuke's apartment and find his third grade journal."

Neji choked on his coffee, eyes bulging as he nearly coughed up a lung, "Are you crazy?" He sputtered, "That's illegal! We could go to jail if we get caught!"

"That's why you won't get caught," Shikamaru said, "We can do this tomorrow night. Sasuke teaches until seven then and both of you finish around six. Sai will distract him until you two find the journal and read its account. I will be in my office Skyping with you over my desktop computer…haven't written the Finals for my classes yet." He shrugged.

"Why can't I distract Sasuke and these two break into his apartment?" Neji objected, "I do not want to be charged with a felony."

"You've been in Sasuke's apartment before not to mention you have the spare key." Shikamaru explained, "Sai would be useless there and the reason I suggested Kiba was because he has a Skype application on his cell phone. I could help you guys that way by seeing what you see."

"I still don't want to do this," Neji replied firmly. He got up from his chair and was about to leave when Shikamaru said–

"It would be like getting back at him for tormenting you with threats of revenge after the rally," Shikamaru finished his apple, throwing the core into the garbage, "This could be your revenge."

Slowly, Neji turned around and walked back to the table. He slid out his chair and sat down, "I'm in."

:::

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Neji whispered to himself as he turned the key to Sasuke's apartment. Kiba grunted beside him. They heard the lock release and slid into the room before anyone could notice their presence.

Closing the door behind him, Neji searched for the light switch. As soon as the lights turned on, Kiba reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

"Alright," he said while loading the Skype application, "Give me just one minute."

Neji squeezed the bridge of his nose, "I'm going to start looking." His eyes scanned the living room and came to rest on a mahogany bookshelf a few feet away. Without hesitation, the longhaired brunette marched towards the shelf and began sifting through its contents, looking for anything that resembled an assortment of journals.

Kiba remained standing in front of the door, his fingers quickly moving over the qwerty keyboard as he punched in his password. Two minutes later, Shikamaru's face was scowling at him from his phone screen.

"What took you so long?"

Kiba shrugged his shoulders, "These things take time…and Neji was being paranoid."

"I was not being paranoid," the brunette said through clenched teeth, "I just didn't want to give anyone reason to be suspicious, that's all."

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba rolled his eyes. He then looked at Shikamaru and grinned, "Where should I start looking?"

Shikamaru leaned back in his chair and stared at the pencil holder in his office. Hands taking on their signature position in his lap while his brain raced through possible locations the Uchiha could have put his journals. A few minutes later, his eyes turned back to his desktop where Kiba's face awaited him rather impatiently, "Try looking under his bed first."

Nodding, "Neji!" he hollered, "Shikamaru said to look under his bed."

"Damn it, Inuzuka!" Neji grit his teeth almost dropping a picture frame, "I can hear him just fine, don't yell! Do you want to let everyone know we're here?"

Turning red as a ripe tomato, Kiba rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Sorry." He then followed Neji after turning off the lights as the older man led him to Sasuke's bedroom. They walked past the kitchenette and another room before Neji took the handle of a brass knob and pushed open a door on the left. Kiba followed his partner in crime inside and gave a low whistle when Neji flicked on the lights.

"Wow," he said as he gazed around the room. A large bed regally sat in the middle of the room covered by what seemed to be a rather expensive looking comforter. Kiba touched the silky black fabric and grunted in approval. His eyes roved over the rest of the room, taking in the champagne colored walls and the ebony black desk sitting in the corner. Three bookshelves sat against the wall, each completely full with works written by authors Kiba didn't recognize.

Neji having already seen Sasuke's room, purposefully walked towards the king sized bed and got on his knees. With one hand, he lifted the bed skirt and lowered his head to look under the bed. Disappointment marred his pleasant features when he found not even a speck of dust beneath the bed frame. There was absolutely nothing there.

"Nothing under here, Shikamaru," Neji said loud enough for the psychology professor to hear.

Shikamaru sighed and suggested they look in the set of drawers once Kiba had given him a quick view of the room. The two men carefully examined each drawer and found nothing within them except the usual linens, undergarments and socks. Next, they decided to examine Sasuke's closet.

When Neji opened the door, Kiba's eyes went wide, "Holy fucking shit!" He timidly stepped inside the closet as Neji flicked on the closet light with a soft chuckle. It was a hoarder's paradise. There were shelves upon shelves of gadgets, action figures, puzzles, notebooks, textbooks and probably every other random thing Sasuke had owned in the span of his twenty odd years of life.

"Well," Shikamaru cleared his throat, trying to control the sudden urge to break out into fits of laughter, "Better start looking –and make sure to put everything back exactly where it was. Sasuke is the type to notice things that are out of place." He was met by glares from both Neji and Kiba. Shrugging his shoulders, Shikamaru turned his attention to the Final he had been drafting for his undergraduate class. In the meantime, both Neji and Kiba got to work on Sasuke's closet of shame.

Twenty minutes later Kiba stumbled onto a leather box in the shape of a treasure chest. He lifted the lid expecting to see another batch of outdated toys. Instead, he found himself staring at roughly twenty black, soft covered journals. They were all neatly packed into the medium sized chest.

"Neji!" Kiba grabbed one of the journals excitedly and opened it, reading the first entry his eyes landed on.

_I ate grape jello. I did not like it. I drew a picture. Naruto came over. We played outside. I won the game. It was fun. _

"Look at this!" Kiba chuckled as he pointed to the childish handwriting, "It's from when we were in first grade –see the date?" Neji leaned over and took a look.

"Interesting," taking the journal from Kiba's hands, Neji leafed towards the end. "This isn't the one we want. He was still in first grade when he finished it."

"No worries," Kiba grinned and picked up the next journal. He read the date on the first entry and frowned, "This one is from sixth grade." Putting it back in the chest he took another one and opened it. "Dude, this one is from high school!" He began turning the pages quickly, "It's the year Sasuke told us he was gay!"

Neji looked up, uncertainty clouding his eyes, "I don't think we should be doing this. These are his personal thoughts and we have no right to be going through them."

Kiba gave the worried man a cynical look, "And you just realized that now?"

The skin of Neji's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as the Hyuga cast his eyes down, "I hadn't really thought about it." He murmured, "I just thought we'd come in and read the entry with Michiru and be done with it. I…I didn't think –"

"Too late for your morals to come into play, Hyuga," Shikamaru's voice said.

"Oh my god," Kiba gripped the journal tighter. His eyes moved across the page with incredible speed as he read an entry.

_No more. I'm done with lying to myself and to my friends and family. Especially my family…I just can't! I made myself watch that porn video Kiba had been talking about during soccer practice but I didn't feel anything. Wait, not true. I felt very uncomfortable. Every boob I saw made me want to shut my eyes tight and never open them again. When the girl had taken off her nearly inexistent pair of lace panties I was about to turn the damned thing off. Then a guy came into the video. He was wearing just a pair of swimming trunks and was carrying a surfboard. Don't know why…they were in a college dorm room. Anyway, when he put down his board, the girl came up to him and started licking his chest while she peeled off his trunks. Let's just say watching that guy jerking off was the highlight of that whole affair. I just replayed that little bit over and over until…yeah…I'm gay. I am really, really gay._

_I've decided to tell my parents tonight at dinner. Tomorrow I plan on telling my friends at school. I just hope that by telling everyone at once, it will make it hurt less. I am ready for the onslaught that is to come. _

_Bring it world. I can handle it. _

"I found it," Neji mumbled.

Kiba looked up and put the journal he was reading back into the chest. He then drew closer to Neji and read over his shoulder.

_I am really, really, really, really times infinite mad today! I can't believe him! He accused me of tattle tailing! Really? So what if I was talking to the teacher after the test? Uchihas don't tattle! Stupid Naruto! I hate him! He should have known I wouldn't tell! I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TELL HIM SQUAT! Michiru was right, he is an idiot. God I can't believe it! You know what? I'm going to make Naruto regret the day he met me! We'll see then! We'll see! He could kiss my butt!_

Neji frowned and turned the page. He scanned the next couple of entries and was just about to turn the page when his cell phone went off. Grumbling, he reached into his pocket and pulled it out.

"Hello," he answered with a rather impatient lilt.

"Get out of there now!" Sai's voice yelled into his ear. Neji dropped the journal, eyes going wide.

"What?"

"I went to the bathroom for two fucking minutes and when I came out, the damn Uchiha wasn't anywhere to be seen. I thought maybe he went to buy a snack or something, but when I sat down at my desk there was a note letting me know that, I quote –'You are wasting my time with this poorly put together supply report. If you wanted me to check the numbers, you should have at least organized it in some order. Good bye.'" Sai ended. He took in a deep breath and continued, "Get out of there! For all I know he could have left ten minutes ago!"

"Damn it." Neji stood up quickly and grabbed Kiba by the sleeve of his shirt. Hanging up the phone, he turned to the confused Inuzuka, "Sasuke's coming."

"Crap." Kiba slammed the chest with all the journals shut and pushed it back into the place he found it. Grabbing his coat, he ran out of the closet as Neji turned off the light.

"Hurry up!" Shikamaru yelled from Kiba's phone.

"We know!" Kiba whispered angrily, muting his phone so Shikamaru wouldn't bother him, "Did the room look like this when we came in?" He asked Neji.

The silver eyed man scanned the room for a minute before nodding with a sigh of relief. He reached for the bedroom door just as they heard a jingling sound. All the color drained from the Hyuga's face as he heard the sound of a key being inserted into the front door.

"Mother fucker," Kiba rushed to the window and cursed. There was no way out from Sasuke's bedroom window.

Neji ran for the light switch and shut the lights off, "Get under the bed!" he whispered urgently as he lunged to the floor. Lifting the bed skirt, Neji pushed himself beneath the king sized bed and made sure the ends of his coat weren't sticking out. Kiba rolled under as well, pressing himself to Neji's side just as the door to the apartment opened.

* * *

**Holy Shit!**

**What's gonna happen now?...I know…*evil laughter***

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**


	10. See No Evil Hear No Evil Speak No Evil 2

**Yes, yes I know. I said I'd have this up around Wednesday of last week…as you can see **_**that**_** didn't happen. But to my defense, it was so nice outside! The warmest it has been since the start of spring! So sorry for procrastinating…I ventured into the outside world and enjoyed the pleasant weather. **

**Anyway, as you can see this chapter is hellava long, so that should make up for the late update? *begs***

**Also, a little shameless advertising: If any of you enjoy watching abridged series then there is a new episode (ep1) coming from my team for Naruto Shippuden. Just google NarutoSASPS and our youtube channel should be one of the first things you see. Check it out!**

**Warning: You'll see^^**

* * *

Chapter 10: See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil-Part 2

Sasuke angrily threw his keys onto the side table as he stormed into his apartment. Gripping the scarf around his neck, he pulled it off with one agitated tug. Sliding out of his coat, he stuffed the navy blue scarf into the left sleeve and then marched over to the closet by the front door, threw it open and grabbed for a hanger.

All day.

Not just today but the day before that and the day before that, it was like some vicious cycle! Sasuke prided himself on being a man of control. He was as cool as a snake, figuratively speaking of course. Unhinging his jaw and swallowing whole one obstacle after another. There was nothing he couldn't handle. Nothing!

He thrust the coat onto the plastic hanger and hung it up before slamming the door closed. Then running a shaky hand through his damp hair, he strode purposefully towards his bedroom all the while berating himself in his head.

It wasn't normal to be so sexually frustrated. He was sure of it. People who were constantly getting horny over the most absurd of things sought medical attention.

Yes, he needed medical attention.

Throwing himself on the bed, Sasuke rubbed the corners of his eyes as the events of the day replayed in his mind. Early this morning he had woken to a hard on, thus requiring a quick shower under the biting cold water. The spray had hit him like a thousand sharp needles, biting painfully into the skin of his back. It was quite an unwelcome feeling when you knew it was below freezing outside. Not to mention the fact that he'd have to trudge through masses of snow while fighting off the heavy winds from the North that decided it would be fun to see how many times they could piss him off within a span of five minutes…but back to the shower. It was cold.

Afterwards he had dressed as quickly as he could in an attempt to regain some much sought after heat. Then when scrambling his eggs for a good nutritional breakfast, he felt it coming. That slow aching throb in his groin. That heightening of the senses that made every breeze and every movement feel erotically stimulating. Swallowing hard, he forced an image of Ino and Chouji into his mind. Making himself imagine them doing the unthinkable in the privacy of his own bedroom. Almost immediately, he felt his body cool down and the blood rush back to his brain. With a grunt, he finished cooking his meal and sat down to eat.

For the rest of the day, random things kept making him want to rush towards his office, lock the door and relieve that aching throb in his pants.

The yellow, number twelve pencil.

The large banana Gaara had been eating.

The lesson on derivatives in his Calculus I class.

Bending over to pick up a student's dropped notebook.

Anything and everything was setting him off.

Then lastly Sai with his stupid art stock list of chaos. As soon as his eyes landed on the word 'anatomy,' his cock twitched and all the blood began to charge straight down to his groin all over again. When Sai had excused himself to go to the bathroom, Sasuke took this as an excellent opportunity to escape. Quickly, he scribbled a nonsense note and ran out of the university building before Sai could come back.

Now here he lay on his bed, with the most painful erection of his life.

When cold showers stopped working and the images you conjure to ride yourself of desire malfunction, there is only one option left, only one way to handle such a bothersome situation. Sitting up, Sasuke began to pull off his belt.

Silent like the dead, Kiba and Neji lay beneath Sasuke's bed with worried expressions on their faces. Sasuke hadn't bothered to turn on the lights. Which left the two interlopers heavily dependent on the dim LED light coming from Kiba's phone. Thanks to the dark bed skirt, the small source of light they had was well concealed beneath the bed.

When Neji heard Sasuke grunt, he held his breath not even daring to breathe.

The springs of the mattress creaked as the two men heard something fall to the ground. More rustling was heard before the springs creaked again and they heard Sasuke lay back on the bed. Shikamaru's face stared at them from Kiba's phone, his eyes focused as he trained all his attention on listening to whatever the microphone on Kiba's cell was picking up. Both Neji and Kiba looked nervous as they had their eyes trained upwards. Breathing had become optional to them at this point, so Shikamaru quickly sent them a message.

_Don't move. Don't talk. And don't you dare sneeze. Eventually he will either fall asleep or go to the bathroom. Just wait it out._

Kiba and Neji shot their leader angry looks, wanting nothing more than to reach through the screen of Kiba's phone and take the crazy Nara by the neck and squeeze. Squeeze hard enough so his eyes bulged and face turned purple.

"…Ah…"

Kiba's eyes widened as another throaty hum escaped from the Uchiha. He cast a look in Neji's direction only to witness an expression of horror displayed quite clearly on the man's face. Swallowing hard he shut his eyes, forcing himself to imagine himself in a place far away from here. Far, far away from the noises he knew were going to be coming next.

Sasuke looked down at himself with a hint of pride. After removing his clothes, he noticed that his dick had extended quite a bit further as it now was pointing upwards. Obviously ready for a good quick session. He sighed, thinking of how nice it would be to plunge himself fully into a blindingly hot, tight ass. Unfortunately, he didn't have any random men lying about at his disposal. Leaning back against his pillows, Sasuke reached for his cock and began stroking it very slowly with two fingers. If he was going to do this, he was damn well going to enjoy it.

With his other hand, he reached for his balls and gently began to pull on them. Leaning further back onto the downy pillows, he tugged downwards while at the same time rubbing his fingers against the sensitive flesh. A moan escaped his lips as he gripped the base of stone hard dick, rubbing it leisurely with his hand.

Feeling the soles of his feet begin to tingle, Sasuke worked his hand up from the base and along the shaft while still stroking his balls with the other hand. It felt so good. He rubbed again, teasing himself by ghosting his fingers over the shaft. The tingling from his feet was now deliciously reverberating into the tip of his cock sending pleasurable jolts of electricity across every nerve fiber of his being.

He let out another moan, already beginning to pant with want. Obsessively, his hand stroked his length. The friction he was creating felt incredible! It was like after days of walking in the blistering desert he was finally getting a taste of the cool, crisp water he had so longingly searched for. Continuing his stroking, Sasuke moved his hand upwards slowly. Teasing the throbbing flesh while working his way up to the sensitive spot right below the tip of his cock, "…Mngh…" His toes curled as he rubbed the area harder. It felt so good. So wonderfully, inexplicably good. The head of his dick twitched with desire as his fingers moving eagerly against the hard flesh. Moaning as his fingers squeezed around him, breathlessly plunging him into a sea of desire. His mind raced unintentionally picturing a lean, naked blonde man with fiery eyes. The fictitious blonde had his legs spread widely, showing off a perfectly stretched hole in need of a large dick to fill it. Sasuke rubbed harder, unaware that he was now masturbating to the image of Naruto fisting himself before him.

His attention was now completely focused on the pressure building within him. The heat and blood pulsing rhythmically inside his erection was now the one controlling his body. Anything. He would do about anything for that sweet release waiting just around the corner. He squeezed the head of his cock again, letting a pleasured cry echo off his lips. Cum started to leak forth from the stimulated head, coating his long, slender fingers in its warm sticky juices. Grunting, Sasuke rubbed his dick harder, spreading the precum all the way down to the base. His cock jerked wantonly in his hand, begging for more attention…and that is exactly what Sasuke gave it. He rubbed his hand faster along the shaft, alternating between thrusting into his fist and rubbing the head.

It felt so incredibly good.

He could feel the pressure building, feel the sweet release edging closer to the surface. His movements became more erratic as the pressure built. Toes dug into the bedding, twisting in the sheets as he continued to squeeze. His other hand tugged ruthlessly on his swollen balls, bringing him closer and closer to that point where he knew he'd feel himself floating amidst a river of ambrosia. He panted harder, rubbing, squeezing and tugging. Clamping his eyes shut, Sasuke arched his back as he felt the spring inside him release. A shout escaped his throat as a stream of hot cum shot out and coated the dark linen sheets of his bed. He moaned, riding out the orgasm and milking it for all it was worth –eyes still shut tight and hand still fisted around him. His lips parted as he finally took in a breath and collapsed with a satisfied grunt.

It felt so good. Raw and unrestrained. He had half the mind to do it again but one glance at the clock reminded him that he had an early class in the morning. Muttering nonsense under his breath, he lay on his back and waited for his breathing to even out.

After a few minutes, Sasuke sat up and looked at the mess he made. With an audible sigh he stood to his feet and walked over to the edge of his bed, sliding his feet into a pair of black slippers. Unhurriedly, he bent down to the floor and began picking up the articles of clothes he had thrown off in his hurried effort to jerk off. He then strode naked towards his bathroom door, intent on washing off the residue of his indecent performance.

Kiba and Neji didn't dare move a muscle until they heard the shower start to run. They then waited another extra three minutes to be sure it was safe to move.

"Okay," Neji whispered shakily, "I think we can make a run for it."

Kiba nodded his head, wondering to himself how many years would have to pass before he could completely forget this event. He made a mental note to write out a check for some charity as soon as he got home. No doubt it was God's doing that he hadn't sneezed during this whole ordeal. Knowing his luck, they would have probably gotten caught five minutes after Sasuke came in. Again, Kiba thanked the heavens that Sasuke was such a neat freak that there wasn't even a speck of dust beneath the bed.

Trying to make as little noise as possible, Neji and Kiba rolled out from under the bed and tiptoed hurriedly towards the door. Taking a deep breath, Neji grabbed the door handle and turned it. The lock clicked open and the two scurried across the living room towards the front door. Neji hurriedly pulled out his key as Kiba turned the locks. Upon swinging it open, the two bolted out with Neji quickly locking the door behind them.

They were a sight for sore eyes as they power walked across the small parking lot. Once they were safely sitting inside Neji's car, Kiba unmuted his phone and glared at the LED screen. Shikamaru had his head bent down, busily working on the Final he was writing.

"Shikamaru!" Kiba yelled at his phone.

Nothing.

"He probably put us on mute so he wouldn't have to…" Neji swallowed, looking a little green, "…hear that."

"Oh…right."

Neji pulled out his own phone and dialed the psychology professor. They watched their friend through the screen lift his head and reach across his desk. Upon picking up the phone and seeing the caller ID, his eyes flickered to the computer screen.

Two clicks later.

"Wow, Sasuke sure took his time."

"Fuck you!" Neji and Kiba yelled in unison.

:::

Sasuke walked into the staff lounge and immediately headed for the coffee machine. A few of the professors were present namely Shikamaru, Neji, Kiba, Shino and Sakura. After pouring himself a large cup of coffee he walked over to the round table and took a seat.

"Good morning, Sasuke!" Sakura chimed brightly.

"Morning."

Taking a sip of his morning medicine, Sasuke watched Neji and Kiba fidget in their seats. Both were staring down at the tabletop as if it were the most interesting specimen they had ever seen. All week the two of them had been avoiding eye contact with him. It seemed rather strange to Sasuke, however he chose not to say anything on the matter. In all likelihood the two were probably tired from composing Finals for the end of the semester. Unlike him, most of his fellow professors left test making to the last minute. He nodded to himself, no wonder these two looked so downtrodden.

"You two shouldn't leave things to last minute." Sasuke grunted, "How are you going to proctor the exams when you look like you hadn't had a good night's sleep for over a week?"

Neji wanted to clamp both hands over his ears to muffle the sound of Sasuke's voice. Every time he spoke all he could hear in his head was the moaning and groaning…not to mention the panting. Oh god, he winced as memories of laying flat on his stomach in the darkest of night replayed in his head. The fear that a single noise could end it for him…he shuddered.

Kiba suddenly stood up, his chair almost falling backwards in his swift departure from the staff lounge. The usually boisterous biology professor was now barely keeping it together. Everyone watched as Kiba hurled himself at the door and left with a resounding bang.

"Excuse me," Neji muttered before getting up and leaving the staff room right behind Kiba.

Sasuke raised one fine eyebrow and looked at Shikamaru who was trying but failing at concealing a grin from forming on the planes of his face.

"What's wrong with them?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat and without daring to look the Uchiha in the eye said clearly, "They had a bad experience."

:::

Naruto scanned over the final copy of his end of semester Exam with a satisfied grunt. After banishing himself from the staff lounge, he found that he had more time to grade his papers and get everything he needed done for his classes without having to rush or experience sleepless nights like before. Grinning to himself, he put aside the Final and leaned back in his armchair. There were just a few days left until the start of Finals and after that, there would be a nice long month of vacation. No getting up at ungodly hours of the morning. No hiding from Fuka. No tests to grade or exams to write. Nothing. There would finally be some peace and quiet to enjoy the finer things life had to offer.

The gang was already planning a nice vacation once they finished calculating grades for the fall semester. It would be a good, relaxing few days enjoying freedom. The girls were already looking into resorts and places they could go. Yes, life was going to be good for a change.

The sound of someone knocking on the door had Naruto's thoughts racing back to the present. Standing from his chair the blonde tiptoed towards the door and peered through the peephole he had installed a few weeks ago. To his relief there was no big busty redhead standing readily at his door.

"Come in." Naruto returned to his seat as Sai walked into his office. The man had a spatter of blue paint on his cheek right below the eye. Grabbing a tissue from a box on his desk, Naruto handed it to the art instructor. "You got a little paint on your face."

Taking the tissue, Sai muttered his thanks and sat down in a chair. Bringing the soft paper towards his face, he began to rub. Naruto waited patiently for his friend to finish before enquiring as to the reason Sai had come to his office.

The dark haired man rubbed fiercely at his cheek trying to get the paint off. No one had even bothered to tell him that he'd been walking around the campus all morning with a splotch of paint on his face. Sometimes he wondered why he stayed here, working with people who clearly didn't give a rat's ass about him. Crumpling the now blue tissue, he threw it into the trash bin and sighed.

"Is something wrong, Sai?" Naruto frowned when the usual smile didn't appear on his comrade's face.

The pale man shook his head, "No. Just a little annoyed." Reining in his emotions, Sai smiled up at his friend. At least there was one person here he knew that cared a little. The worry in those azurite eyes was genuine and made him feel a little better. Here was a person who wore his heart on his sleeve. Usually that wouldn't be considered a good thing but at the moment, Sai was grateful that the blonde was so easily read.

"Hm," Naruto leaned back in his chair and gave it a little swivel, "Okay. What's up?"

Remembering the reason he came, Sai cleared his throat, "I would like you to come by the studio tonight around seven thirty. There is something I'd like to talk about with you."

The blonde sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "Geez, Sai. I was really hoping on getting out of here at six."

"Oh," Sai looked down in his lap, "I guess…"

"Can't you talk about whatever it is right now?"

Sai shook his head, "No, I need to do it in the art studio. Everyone will be gone at seven so there won't be anyone there. I want to talk to you in private."

Privacy. The guy wanted privacy. Naruto didn't like where this was heading.

"Sai," he leaned over the desk, "You know I think of you only as a friend, right?"

Confused, the older man nodded, "What does that have to do with this?"

Naruto blinked. Okay, maybe that wasn't the kind of privacy Sai was thinking about.

"I just need to talk to you and then maybe get some painting in." Sai repeated, "Please say you'll come."

Now there was that magic word. Please.

Sighing, Naruto nodded, "Fine, I'll be there."

"Great!" Sai got to his feet and grinned, "See you at seven thirty!"

"Yeah," Naruto muttered as the door closed with a bang.

:::

Sasuke brought his messenger bag down hard on his office desk causing a black balled pen to roll off the table. All at once, three heavy textbooks the size of cinderblocks slid out onto the desk. The colored post-it-notes within each one sticking out at all angles, marking concepts Sasuke had definitely put on the exam. Calculus, Pre-Calculus and Algebra…all full of fairly complex algorithms none of which Sasuke was going to be testing on. Most of the students in his class were deemed by him as incompetent. In all honesty, he wondered how some of them managed to graduate from rudimentary mathematics. More than once, he found himself revisiting the concept of fractions and percents. A truly embarrassing feat that he very much liked to avoid at all costs. He could not for the life of him understand how someone could mess up a fairly simple equation. You just had to solve for the damned variable!

Opening a draw in his desk, Sasuke pulled out three manila folders. Each containing four different variations of the same exam. He opened the Algebra one first, spreading the exams before him in order of difficulty.

Version A had two challenging quadratic equations while version B had one…though version B also had the logarithmic equation that would require a graph. His eyes shifted to version C which had a fairly simple exponential equation…though it did contain a difficult matrix inversion problem which consisted of at least five steps. He could solve it in three, but most of his students would probably have difficulty comprehending the question altogether. Version D was by far the most difficult and challenging version of the exam. Certainly not for the students who no doubt would turn out to be pencil pushing zombies of the workforce. It consisted of two tricky hyperbola equations, a somewhat difficult quadratic, two matrix questions, three devilish logarithms, the use of the binomial theorem, a somewhat easy parabola and a sprinkle of rational expressions with a side of polynomial inequalities.

Which one would he pick?

A knock on the door delayed Sasuke's decision. He muttered a quick, 'come in,' and was surprised (although very far from pleased), to see Sai walk in with a folder in his hand.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked stiffly, not even bothering to offer the other man a seat.

Nonetheless, used to the Uchiha's rather gruff personality, Sai took the liberty of taking a chair, "I need you to come by my studio today at seven thirty."

"No."

"Why not?"

Finally looking at the other man Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "Because I don't like you."

"I don't like you either," Sai smirked, "However, it wasn't my idea for you to come to my studio. It was a request by the higher ups. Just be there, okay?"

Intrigued Sasuke straightened to his full height and crossed his arms. His pose was indeed intimidating and would probably scare off any other professor in this university, however Sai was on a mission. Nothing was going to keep him from claiming his objective.

"What is this about?"

Sai wiggled the folder in his hand before standing up and walking to the door, concealing the smirk on his face, "I'll let you know at seven thirty. Be there." The door shut behind him and Sasuke was left staring at the wooden finish of his office door.

"Hn."

Swiftly he sat down in his armchair and grabbed the most difficult version of the exam. He stuck it into a crisp white envelope and labeled it 'Algebra Final for section 4 and 5,' with a thick sharpie marker. Licking the enveloped closed he threw it atop his messenger bag and crossed his arms, focusing his glare on a snow globe sitting in the corner of his bookcase.

:::

Naruto rushed to shove all his things into his orange backpack. He had roughly ten minutes to get assembled before he needed to meet Sai in his studio. Having just finished giving a full blown lecture he was making good time…that was until Kiba pounced on him in the hall. The blonde let out an 'oomph' as the bigger man collided with his chest.

"Yo, Naruto!"

Rubbing his mock injury, Naruto gave his friend and indignant look. You would think that being considered a legal adult by a considerable amount of the populace meant that all childish whimsies be checked at the door. Not if you were Kiba. The warm hearted man had still remained a boy even through the dark and long voyage of adulthood. Naruto smiled as Kiba rubbed the back of his neck. A sign the blonde had long since unraveled as his friend being embarrassed. The man smiled ruefully at Naruto before muttering an apology.

"Sorry about that," Kiba waited for the blonde to reset the backpack on his shoulder before bombarding him with the initial reason he had run into him, "I need to borrow your phone."

"My phone?" Naruto frowned, "What's wrong with yours?"

The biology professor paused, having not considered a reason as to why his phone was at the moment –out of order.

"Um," he stuttered, "I f-forgot it at h-home and I need to call s-someone b-because I need to t-tell them s-something i-important." Wincing internally, Kiba prayed that the blonde didn't pick up on the lie. He watched as Naruto pondered for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his sleek cell phone.

Caribbean blue eyes stared intently into Kiba's face, "Do not lose this, Kiba."

Frowning, Kiba took the phone and grumbled, "Gee…thanks for having so much faith in me, Uzumaki."

Naruto shrugged, "Experience has taught me otherwise." He grinned at the sour look displayed on Kiba's face and chuckled, "I'm heading towards the studio right now so I don't know how late I'll be. Tell Shikamaru that I'll walk home."

Kiba nodded and watched his friend walk down the hallway. He waited patiently until Naruto turned the corner before pulling out his walkie-talkie, "The egg has been cracked. I repeat, the egg has been cracked and the yolk extracted."

Static sounded over the radio device before Shikamaru's voice came on, "Good…Flamingo, what's your status?"

Another bout of static ensued before Sakura's angry voice came on the line, "My codename is not Flamingo, Shikamaru! We discussed this! I am white rose! Embodiment of innocence, virtue and goodness."

"More like a red rose," Kiba muttered to himself, "Embodiment of guilt, lust and evil."

"Fuck you, Inuzuka!" Sakura growled having heard every single word since Kiba forgot to let go of the button, "Will you let that go?"

"Shut up both of you!" Shikamaru's voice boomed over the walkies, "Just get Sasuke's cell phone before he enters the studio."

Sakura sighed, "Alright. White rose in route to intercept."

The rosette quickly tucked her walkie-talkie into her bra, having forgotten to wear pants with pockets this morning. She strode purposefully towards Sasuke's office, avoiding the many students who were anxiously trying to leave the campus grounds. She was almost run over by a heavyset woman if not for her quick ducking abilities. A feat she mastered after playing ultimate Frisbee with Naruto, Kiba, Gaara and Lee.

When Sasuke's office door was in sight, Sakura took a deep breath and barged into the room. Unfortunately, Sasuke was nowhere to be found. The chair at his desk was as empty as a classroom after dismissal.

"Code red!" Sakura put the walkie to her mouth, "The fish is not in the bowl! I repeat, the fish is not in the bowl!"

"Damn it!" Shikamaru's voice rung in her ear, "Okay Chip and Dale, give us the feed!"

Sakura rushed across the hall with the radio device firmly pushed against her ear as her eyes scanned the floor for signs of Sasuke.

A minute later the static crackled over the walkie-talkie and Kotetsu's voice came on line, "We've got visual on Broody. He's heading towards the exit on the left side of the building…the history classrooms!"

"Bones, you in position to intercept?" Shikamaru asked.

Ino's voice answered, "Affirmative. I have Broody in sight –intercepting now."

"Alright," Kotestsu's voice answered, "Cutting off live feed from the art studio now…Van Gough, you're good to go."

Sakura ran down the stairs, her heels making a click clacking sound as they hit the floor. She had half the mind to slide down the rail but thought against it when she nearly ran into a passing student walking up. Finally reaching the first floor, Sakura threw open the door and barreled down the hallway. There was no time to waste. This could be it.

Eyes began glowing with excitement when she spotted Ino standing in front of the entry door, blocking Sasuke's path outside. As soon as the blonde History professor spotted her, she stepped away from the door and said her goodbyes. Leafy green eyes watched the mathematics professor push open the door and leave the building. Sakura was right on his tail. With one mighty swing, she pushed the door open and followed Sasuke into the biting cold December night.

"Sasuke!" She called, "Wait!"

The raven stopped midstride and turned around to see the bright haired woman running towards him. His eyes narrowed as he took in her appearance.

"Get back inside." He said severely with ebony eyebrows knit together, "It's too cold out here for you not to be wearing a jacket."

Rubbing her sweater enclosed arms Sakura shook her head, "I'll be quick. I just needed to ask you something."

"Hn," Sasuke grabbed Sakura's arm and dragged her back inside the building. When they were once again within the university he sighed and looked up at the shivering girl, "What is it?"

"Can I borrow your phone?"

"What?"

Crossing her arms in an attempt to warm herself Sakura repeated, "I said can I borrow your phone? I lost mine somewhere inside my office and the desk phone hasn't been working since the start of the semester. I have to make an important call and the number is on my phone. Please, Sasuke."

He stared at her for a minute, pondering the pros and cons of giving Sakura his phone. Lending his phone wasn't the problem, getting it back was. The meeting in Sai's studio couldn't take more than half an hour.

"Are you done for the day?" he asked.

She nodded her head.

With a sigh Sasuke stuck his hand in his coat pocket and pulled out a shiny navy blue cell phone, "I have a meeting starting at seven thirty so take the phone home with you. I'll come pick it up when I'm done."

"Sure!" Sakura smiled prettily, "That's no problem."

Sasuke nodded his head and gave an audible grunt before turning back to the door, "See ya."

As soon as the door closed the rosette gave an evil smirk, "Not today." Pulling out her walkie-talkie Sakura pressed down on the knob, "Mission success. Target acquired. Grumpy is on his way I repeat, Grumpy is on his way. Heading towards you now, Doc."

Shikamaru's chuckle reverberated over the radio wave, "Good job, rosey. Dumb and Dumber are at the apartment hooking up the television to the live feed from the hidden camera installed in the studio. Head on over there, we'll meet you."

"Alright," putting her walkie away, Sakura walked towards the elevators. She was going grab her coat and car keys and drive over to Naruto's apartment at the fasted speed her little car could go. Speed limits be damned, she wasn't going to miss this for the world.

Sasuke trudged along the campus path until he came to the building hosting all the art programs. With a quiet grunt, he swung open the Picassoisque painted door and walked inside. Having never had the need to venture into the world of clay, paint and charcoal, Sasuke found himself admiring the vast array of sculptures and paintings sitting appealingly in the hallway. Not a single inch of white wall was visible in the building. Each corner hosted some exquisite painting or drawing done with the utmost skill. Sasuke found himself pausing to examine piece after piece, appreciation lighting up his face.

"I'm glad to see your enjoying yourself." Sai's voice said from a few feet away. At once, Sasuke straightened his back and set his features into a mask of boredom and irritation.

"I give credit where credit is due," he said simply and followed Sai up a flight of stairs. The art professor led him into an enormous room with two large windows. Easels of all sizes sat against one wall while stools were heaped up five to a stack in the corner. Like the hallways leading up to the studio, the walls were arrayed with work done by the attending students. There were nature scenes, still lifes, abstract paintings and sketches hanging all over the place. Even heavily ornate paper with beautiful calligraphy was displayed on the wall. Sasuke peered closer at one piece and took note of the fine brush strokes and the in all delicate nature of the work. He grunted in approval.

Sai walked over to a door, "This is the bathroom."

"Hn."

"Over there is the stock room, "He pointed to a door on the other side of the room, "We keep most of our supplies there.

At that moment the supply room door opened and out stepped Naruto, "Hey, Sai I couldn't find the costume ins –what's he doing here?" The blonde narrowed his eyes and glared at the Uchiha who all of a sudden became stiller than the statues next to him.

Sai ignored the question and smiled at the two men. Right on cue the phone is Sai's pocket began to ring, sounding the familiar cellular ringtone. Muttering unnecessary excuses Sai pulled out his cell and brought it to his ear, "Hello?"

Both Sasuke and Naruto watched as the expression on Sai's face changed.

"What? Is he alright?" panicking, Sai grabbed his coat, "I'll be right there! Don't do anything until I get there, you here!" Shooting the two bewildered men an apologetic look Sai rushed out the door, "I'M COMING!"

Silence.

The slow tick tock of the overhead wall clock was the only contributing noise to the deathly silence that followed Sai's departure. The two professors just stood there. Worry plain on Naruto's face while a look of confusion played over Sasuke's. He turned to look at the blonde man, realizing he hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since the rally. Well…there was that one time but it didn't count.

Naruto's head turned towards the wall and quickly found himself staring at a rather large bout of calligraphy. However, one project stood out the most. Maybe because the name held some meaning for him, maybe because the script was stroked more elegantly then the rest or just maybe because it was the first one his eye landed on.

Michiru was written on a long strip of tea stained paper, as evident as the surprise displayed on Naruto's face.

"I'm leaving," Sasuke stated as he headed for the door. He grabbed the knob of the door only to give it a frustrated jerk.

"What's wrong?" Naruto grumbled as he strode over to the Uchiha with all intent to run out the door and race home leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

"Hn." Sasuke let go of the knob and glared at the door, his displeasure evident in the way his nose scrunched.

Grabbing the knob himself, Naruto gave a sharp pull.

It didn't budge.

A little irritated the blonde jerked the knob once more without success, "Is it stuck or something?" Muttering more to himself then to his equally annoyed companion.

"I think it's locked," Sasuke finally said stepping away from the door, "Sai must have accidently locked us in when he left."

"That can't be," Naruto shook his head in disbelief, "All doors lock from the inside…"

"Must be different in the arts building," Sasuke grumbled as he grabbed himself a stool from the stack in the corner.

Naruto let go of the knob and turned to face the man he'd successfully been avoiding for the past two months now, "Can you call security?"

"Hn."

"Oh don't give me that," Naruto spat angrily, "The least you can do is talk to me in this situation. Grunting isn't going to get us out of here."

"Why don't _you_ call?" Sasuke said mockingly, earning himself an icy glare from the blue eyed blonde.

Shoving his hands in his pockets Naruto glowered, "I don't have a phone on me."

"Neither do I."

With the now clear depiction of their situation, Naruto leaned against the wall and let his shoulders droop, "Great."

"After ten, the security guards will no doubt see that we're in here and come release us." Sasuke said confidently, "Just have to be patient."

Naruto shook his head, "No they won't. Apparently the security camera in this studio had been malfunctioning so Sai said they took it down to get replaced. No one knows we're here."

:::

**Ding!**

"The popcorn is ready!" Choji yelled from the kitchen.

All heads nodded in acknowledgement as eyes focused on the television screen displaying the forms of Naruto and Sasuke sitting on stools within the confines of Sai's art studio. Everyone was piled into Shikamaru and Kiba's living room, squeezed in so tight there was barely any room to breathe.

Earlier that day Shikamaru had Raidou and Kotetsu install a hidden camera in Sai's studio so that they could all watch their plan unfold within the comforts of their home…namely Shikamaru's leather couch.

"It's been two hours and they've barely said anything!" Kiba growled as he stared at the motionless figures on the screen.

"Sai, you did turn off the thermostat in the studio, right?"

The ebony haired man nodded, "They should be cold now. It doesn't take that long for the room to drop in temperature, it's big."

"Well they're going to have to snuggle together if they don't want to freeze to death," Sakura stated as Choji came in with two bowls of popcorn, "Any minute now…any minute."

Ino bounced out of the kitchen with a bag of corn chips and a hearty bowl of salsa. Tenten and Temari grinned and made room for the blonde to sit down beside them.

"Here, Sakura," Ino held out the bowl of salsa. The tomatoes were diced into tiny red cubes; the finely chopped dill lay scattered over the diced vegetables letting the exotic aroma blend perfectly with the different array of herbs and spices mixed into the salsa. Compelling many a mouth to water, "I made it extra spicy, just the way you like it."

Sakura stared at the bowl as her stomach began to churn, "No thanks, Ino. I don't feel like spicy today."

"Pass it over here, Ino." Shino called from his perch on the chair angled at the TV, "We'll eat it." Kankuro and Lee nodded in agreement.

:::

Naruto was starting to lose feeling in his toes.

He had long since abandoned the hard metal stool and taken to sitting atop a purple decorative pillow that had been part of a set up for a still life scene. Sasuke too had grabbed himself a quilted blanket, courtesy of the sewing club. He had folded it up nicely and sat on it, creating a soft cushion for his aching tailbone.

It had only been four hours since Sai had left them locked in the studio but to Naruto and Sasuke, it felt like an eternity.

"We should probably sit close together," Naruto finally said. Unable to bear the cold any longer, "So we won't freeze to death."

Sasuke nodded and waited for Naruto to come across and sit beside him. Gritting his teeth, the blonde stood once he realized Sasuke wasn't getting up. Grabbing his purple pillow, he crossed the room and sat by the Uchiha, his shoulder brushing slightly against the other's.

"Hn."

"Oh god, what now?" Naruto groaned.

Sasuke threw him a dirty look, "Nothing."

Now sharing body warmth the two took to staring at the floor, both feeling innumerable amounts of awkwardness.

Naruto internally groaned. The slow aching throb of his bladder was proving to be quite difficult to ignore at this point. He stared yearningly at the door leading towards the bathroom. If he could just…no. His body would not move. It remained frozen in its spot not daring to let the blonde even move a muscle. Fear assailed his senses as the memory of his first grade trip to the zoo replayed in his mind. He shivered as those snake like eyes taunted him from the dark recesses of his mind, reminding him of the terror he had felt when that man had pulled his shorts down and squeezed him painfully. That sickly pale hand clamped over his mouth held back the screams his six-year-old self begged to let out. He could still hear him panting in his ear. That voice, that unforgettable throaty chuckle ghosting his ear as the man continued to assault him in the stall of the bathroom. No one was there. No one could help him…. pushing the memory as far away as possible, Naruto shook his head. He'd have to hold it in until morning and wait for Kiba or Shikamaru to arrive before asking one of them to go to the bathroom with him.

Sasuke watched the man beside him stare at the bathroom door. Even through the darkness he was able to sense the blonde's distress. A frown played on his lips as his mind reverted back to grade school. Before that whole fiasco in third grade, he remembered Naruto avoiding public bathrooms. He had found it odd that all of a sudden his best friend developed a fear of stepping into the tiled boy's room down the hall from their class. His frown deepened as he remembered walking the scared Naruto to the bathroom and staying in there with him until the boy had a chance to relieve himself. Sasuke never asked why and the blonde never talked about it.

"I need to go to the bathroom." He heard himself say, "Do you want to come?"

Naruto's head snapped towards Sasuke not even bothering to hide the surprise he felt, "Yeah."

Just like they did all those years ago, the two boys stood and walked towards the bathroom. At the door, Sasuke felt Naruto grab the sleeve of his jacket as they stepped inside. They walked over towards the urinal and Sasuke put his hand on the blonde's shoulder just like he did before. He waited patiently, listening to steady stream hitting the ceramic surface of the urinal. Once the blonde was done, he walked towards the sink and began scrubbing his hands furiously.

"Aren't you going to go?" Naruto asked after drying his hands with a paper towel.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, "I don't feel like it anymore."

The blonde looked up, shock displayed on his face quite clearly. His eyes searched the Uchiha for any signs of mocking, unable to fathom a reason for the sudden change in his companion's demeanor. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and led him out of the bathroom, walking purposefully back to their spot on the cold stone floor.

After sitting back down the Uchiha let go of Naruto's hand, letting it fall back to the blonde's side. Naruto stared at it, still wondering why Sasuke had done that for him. It wasn't like he had asked the Uchiha to do it. Hell, he had even succumbed to the assumption he wouldn't get to pee until the morning. A foreign feeling twisted within his gut, churning his stomach and creating this suddenly uncontrollable urge to cry. How did this guy manage to invoke the most powerful emotions from him without doing much of anything? There were times he was sure if not for the consequences, he would have been glad to murder the pompous asshole. He'd even imagined a few scenarios depicting a headless Uchiha lying in a pool of his own blood. Then there were other times, although these were much recent, that he found himself wondering what it would be like to simply throw all pretentions away and simply feast on that ivory skinned body. Lick those taut muscles and trail butterfly kisses down that elegant throat. Shaking his head, Naruto pushed those ridiculous thoughts out of his mind. Things weren't going so well for him right now and fanaticizing about killing or kissing his nemesis was one thing he shouldn't be concerning himself about.

Presently he felt like a flat glass of champagne…no fizzle, no taste, no nothing. Just empty, knowing there was a part of him that had long since disappeared after the bottle had opened and everyone had taken a tentative taste. He was half empty and wishing to once again be filled with the fullness life had to offer. To fizzle and sparkle like everyone else. Problems be damned. He couldn't do anything about them at the moment since he was stuck in a studio.

Hesitantly, he pressed himself close to the Uchiha's side. Eyes cast down as he soaked in the warmth radiating from Sasuke's body.

"Thanks," he said finally, "For doing that. You didn't have to."

"Hn."

Naruto rolled his eyes in the dark but a smile still formed on his face. They sat there in the encompassing silence, which was neither unpleasant nor comfortable.

Nonetheless, it was uncharacteristic for Naruto to stay silent for a long duration of time. The blonde grew steadily more agitated with each passing minute. Ultimately, he couldn't take the silence anymore and blurted out the one thing that had been spinning about his head, courtesy of Sai's subliminal messaging, "Why did you sell me out?"

Sasuke slowly opened one eye, "What?"

Naruto hardened his resolve, "I asked why you sold me out, and don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. I know it's in the past and all," Naruto scratched his ear, "But I still want to know. I didn't cheat, Sasuke. I really didn't cheat."

Sasuke remained silent, his face a stony mask. Gruffly he pulled himself away from the questioning blonde, eyes harsh and unforgiving.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the response or lack thereof, "I would have never thought you'd do something like that to me. I had trusted you, put my faith in you and then what did I get? Some kid telling me you were the reason I failed that exam and then you later confirming it!" Angrily, Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder and turned him so that he could look into the face of the man that betrayed him. "I waited, Sasuke. Hoping that you'd tell me why. Then you told all the girls that I was scared to go to the bathroom myself! Embarrassing me in front of everyone! I trusted you!"

"How can you say you trusted me?" Sasuke snapped angrily, throwing Naruto's hand off his shoulder, "You didn't trust me at all!"

"What the hell do you mean?" Naruto yelled back angrily. "I did trust you! I went over to you right after Michiru told me and asked you!"

"You didn't ask me," Sasuke growled out, "You accused me of telling!"

"I did not accuse you!"

"Like hell you did!" Sasuke's voice rose, "I remember everything! I was sitting at my desk waiting for you like I did every lunch break. You came into the classroom slamming the door open and started yelling at me. I could barely make out what you were saying you were so angry! From all the hollering I managed to gather you wanted to know if I was speaking with the teacher earlier and I had been. So I told you. Then you just blew up in my face! You slammed your fist on my desk and continued to rage! I was so shocked I couldn't even understand what the hell was going on!" Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar of his jacket and brought his face so close that his nose almost grazed the blonde's. "I got so angry at you. How could you doubt me? What had I ever done to you that made you have so little faith in me? I would never have betrayed you! Hell, even if you were cheating I wouldn't have told anyone. I was your best friend, damn it! You should have trusted me!"

"So then you decided to let everyone know my little secret? You decided to hurt me back and make me feel even worse?" Naruto's eyes stared coldly into fathomless black, "In that week my best friend, the person I went to for everything became my enemy."

"Obviously I wasn't your _best friend_ since you couldn't even trust me."

"I did fucking trust you!" Naruto spat, "Why didn't you just tell me that you didn't do it?"

"I shouldn't have needed to," Sasuke growled out, "The definition of trust is that you believe someone without a shadow of a doubt!"

"Well someone told on me," Naruto lowered his voice, exhaustion becoming apparent in the pools of liquid blue, "I had the right to be suspicious, especially after being told that you had spoken with the teacher after the test."

"Yes, I spoke to the teacher," Sasuke rolled his eyes, "She wanted to know if my family would be attending the sport's festival. So no, I didn't rat you out."

Naruto's shoulders slumped, his eyes lowered to stare at the ground as his head drooped, "I'm sorry," he whispered after five minutes of silence.

"Hn."

"I wish my fuse hadn't been so short back then," Naruto sighed, "Would have had a whole lot less detentions. Imagine all the pain and humiliation that could have been avoided if I had just fucking took a moment to think."

Sasuke frowned, "Well it wasn't completely your fault." He cringed, never really one to admit his faults, "If I had been a little less prideful I'm sure things wouldn't have escalated to this state…and I apologize for telling people that you were afraid of going to the bathroom."

Naruto smiled wanly, "Thanks."

Clearing his throat, Sasuke let go of Naruto's collar and leaned back against the wall, "By the way, why are you afraid of going to the bathroom by yourself?"

"I'm not afraid of going to the bathroom," Naruto grumbled, "I'm afraid of being alone in a bathroom or having people in it that I don't know. I can pee perfectly fine in my bathroom at home without having anyone come with me. It's just the public bathrooms that creep me out."

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Sasuke grunted, "Well it's not like anyone else can hear you. I'm the only one here."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably on his pillow, "Well…remember that trip to the zoo we had in first grade?"

Sasuke nodded although the memory was foggy.

"I really needed to pee and everyone was watching the monkeys…there was a bathroom house a few feet away so I thought I'd just run on in and go and be back before anyone noticed I was gone. I thought the bathroom was empty when I ran in so I just walked over to a urinal and began doing my business. Before I knew what was happening a hand clamped over my mouth and dragged me into a stall and…he…he did things to me." Naruto shook his head in an attempt to block the memory, "He touched me, and it didn't feel good. It actually hurt." He squeezed his eyes shut, "When he let me go he made me swear not to tell or he'd find me again. So I ran out of that bathroom as fast as I could. Everyone was still at the monkey exhibit…"

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said quietly, "I never thought it was anything like that."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and attempted a smile, "Well, I'm a pretty good actor when I need to be."

Sasuke cleared his throat, "You know what? I have a pretty high suspicion that Michiru was the one that told on you."

"What? Why?" Naruto's puzzled face looked so innocent that Sasuke wanted to find that bastard who molested him and beat him senseless with a drainpipe. Friend or not, no one should get touched like that when they didn't want to. No one.

"After you stormed off he came into the classroom. Apparently, I looked like I'd just seen a ghost so he asked me what happened. I told him and he said you were an idiot. I agreed," Sasuke ruffled his own hair in an attempt to appear detached, "I think he was just trying to cover his own ass. Probably was the one who told on you and wanted to cover his tracks."

Naruto grit his teeth, "That little shit! You know I had to weed out Grandpa Sarutobi's flower garden for the whole summer because of that? It was awful!"

"I had to deal with Itachi's emo phase," Sasuke grunted, "Do not complain about gardening. That was child's play compared to what I had to go through."

Naruto chuckled, "I liked Itachi. He was always fun to hang around with until he hit puberty. Then it was always girls, girls, girls."

"Hn," Sasuke smiled, "Yeah. He's getting married."

"Really?" Naruto perked up, "Last I heard, he was telling me he'd never get married."

Sasuke did a double take, "You talk to my brother?"

The blonde nodded, "Yep. Just because _we_ were fighting doesn't mean Itachi and I couldn't still hang out."

"Hn."

"Jealous?" Naruto joked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "What time is it? I lost track of the beeping sound of your watch."

Naruto rolled back his sleeve and lit up his watch by pressing a small button on the side. A bright green light illuminated his face as he peered at the time, "It's about one thirty."

Sasuke sighed and stood from his seat before peeling off his jacket. "We should get some sleep then." He picked up his folded quilt, "Grab the pillow and take off your jacket. We'll cushion the floor with our coats and use the quilt as a blanket."

Naruto nodded and began to unzip his jacket while Sasuke worked at creating a makeshift bed. Within a matter of minutes, the two men were lying on their coats and covering themselves with the quilted blanket. Sharing the small pillow proved impossible so Naruto let Sasuke have it. He had no qualms sleeping without one. He stared into Sasuke's face as the Uchiha tried to get comfortable.

Never would he have guessed that one day he'd be lying on the floor, in the dead of winter with Sasuke as a bedmate. It was completely ludicrous…yet here he was. Snuggled into his rival's front, sharing the warmth their two bodies created. Yes, it was strange that he didn't feel appalled or disgusted. In fact, he found the situation somewhat soothing. For the first time in quite a while, he didn't feel so empty.

:::

Most of the group had fallen asleep having downed a couple of beers each and filled their stomachs with a considerable amount of junk food. The few that had remained awake exchanged glances before turning off the television.

"Needless to say that what we've heard wasn't meant for our ears," Neji stood to his feet and looked at the two still functioning adults.

Gaara nodded, "It makes my blood boil." He drew his hands into fists by his side in an attempt to remain calm, "Back at college, I thought it was just a weird quirk. I never asked him about it…never imagined…"

"Hm," Shikamaru rubbed his temples, "As long as we don't talk about it, no one will be the wiser." He grabbed an unopened can of soda from the floor and held it in his hand, "By the way, there's something else I need to tell you."

Two pairs of eyes focused their attention on their unelected leader. Imaginations already thinking up worst case scenarios, "Naruto bought a ring."

* * *

**To be continued…**

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	11. Baby Steps

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* * *

Chapter 11: Baby Steps

"All of you get up." Shikamaru scrunched his nose in annoyance. A majority of last night's guests had yet to rise from their slumbering and get ready for work.

Ino opened one eye and sat up, her back cracking loudly enough for Shikamaru to hear. "What time is it?" She yawned, stretching her arms upwards. Sakura stirred beside her, one long leg jerking awake and accidently hitting a snoring Kiba lying on the living room floor. He snorted.

"It's seven ten," Shikamaru drawled as he walked into the kitchen to grab himself a banana.

"WHAT!"

Instantly Ino jumped to her feet and fell over Kiba's sprawled out body. Her surprised shriek worked as an alarm waking the rest of the sleeping professors like a charm.

"What the hell?" Choji sprang up from his reclining position in the armchair, beady eyes blinking madly.

Ino cursed as she crawled over Kiba's body not even bothering to apologize when she kneed him in the groin accidently. The brown eyed man yelped, his head snapping upwards and colliding painfully with Sakura's knee. Lee jolted awake when Choji's foot fell on his face, his eyes widening into dinner plates as he jerked to the side to dodge what was sure to have been a severing of his manhood. Choji's weight was no laughing matter. Lee clutched his chest in an attempt to calm his pounding heart. One inch closer and Choji would have unintentionally castrated him.

Shino and Hinata walked out of the Kitchen with coffee mugs in their hands; all dressed and ready to leave.

"I thought you said you were going to wake them up at six thirty?" Shino gave Shikamaru an indigenous look as the lazy man walked out of the kitchen and bit into his banana.

Shrugging to himself the psychology professor mumbled, "Troublesome."

"Shikamaru!" Tenten shrieked, "I'm going to kill you! I have a class starting in thirty minutes!"

The man at fault gave her a pointed look, "Not my problem. You were all supposed to leave last night. Be thankful I didn't kick you out."

Finally standing to his feet Kiba rubbed his eyes and looked around the room. It was missing quite a few of their friends.

"Hey," he said in a still sleepy voice, "Where did everyone else go?"

"If you recall," Shino stated matter of factly, "Most people left last night. Watching Naruto and Sasuke was a little more interesting then observing paint dry on walls."

"By the way," Shikamaru cleared his throat, "I'd like to make it known that from today, operation malt balls has come to an end. Our mission played out successfully. Sasuke and Naruto will not be disrupting the peace in the staff lounge any longer. Hinata, you can stop bringing the first aid kit to our social events." He sighed, "It won't be necessary anymore."

Temari stepped out of the kitchen with a glass of orange juice in her hand and a piece of toast in her mouth. She signaled Shikamaru with her free hand and walked back into the kitchen.

"And Temari has made everyone some breakfast and coffee," Shikamaru grumbled, "Go eat. I have to get to work." He was almost at the door when Sakura's voice stopped him.

"Did they kiss?" she asked excitedly, "Are they together now?"

Furrowing his eyebrows Shikamaru gave her a curious look, "No. That was never the objective."

"What do you mean?" Her smile faltered.

Sighing Shikamaru turned to face his long time friend, "Sakura, it was never about getting them together. It was about stopping the daily fights." He watched her face fall, "If they get together now then that's great. But remember, none of us signed up to be matchmakers. They're grown men who can make their own decisions."

"I thought –"

"We're not meddling into their personal affairs," Shino stated, a hard edge to his voice, "It is none of our business and personally, Sakura…I think you should focus on more pressing matters like writing up your Finals."

"Shino," Hinata whispered angrily into her companion's ear.

"What?" He gave his friend an innocent look, "She's almost thirty years old! Time to stop thinking like a high school teenage girl."

The slamming of the bathroom door ended the growingly hostile atmosphere. Ino charged into the kitchen, grabbed herself a slice of toast then propelled herself at an unfazed Shikamaru.

"Move it!" She yelled as Shikamaru shifted to the side to avoid being run over by the raging female, "I'm going to be late!" Ino yanked the door open and ran out.

"Shit," Kiba grumbled after checking the time, "I have a class in forty minutes."

:::

When Sai walked into his studio that morning he was greeted by two very disgruntled professors. Each bore looks of great annoyance tinged with a hint of anger.

"What are you two doing here?" Sai looked from one face to the other. Naruto shook his head in an attempt to clear the fogginess in his brain while Sasuke just blinked furiously.

"You locked us in, Sai."

Sai mocked an expression of shock, "What?"

"Hn."

"You locked us in here last night," Naruto repeated, "After you got that call you just ran out. We were left locked in here."

Sasuke crossed his arms and glared at the pale art instructor, his nose scrunching in distaste. Sleeping on the floor with a measly quilt while the winter wind blazed outside wasn't something he wanted to do ever again.

"I'm so sorry!" Sai bowed his head low, "I didn't mean to lock you in! I must have not been thinking rationally!"

Sasuke snorted, "Obviously."

Naruto elbowed the prideful Uchiha in the gut, "What happened, Sai?"

And just like Shikamaru instructed him to do, Sai masked his emotions. Eyes turned blank and facial features went slack, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"O-oh!" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "No problem." He wasn't about to stick his nose into something that wasn't any of his business. Past experiences made him learn _that _lesson the hard way. "Well, I'll be going now." He grabbed Sasuke by the sleeve of his jacket and pulled him out of the studio before the raven could begin interrogating the nonresponsive artist. Shooting Naruto an angry look, Sasuke pulled his arm free of the blonde's hold.

"Don't drag me around, dobe."

Naruto rolled his eyes and continued walking. No doubt there was a cup of coffee with his name on it waiting for him in the comforts of the staff lounge, maybe even a toasted bagel with cinnamon swirls and whipped cream cheese! His mouth began to water at just the thought of food, having missed dinner last night due to unusual circumstances.

Walking through the doorway to the staff lounger Naruto grinned. There stood the coffee maker and just a little further to the left was food. He was so intent on getting some breakfast he didn't notice Neji and Gaara sitting at the staff table humbly sipping at their coffee. Their heads lifted simultaneously and nodded to the Uchiha in greeting. Sasuke tilted his head back in acknowledgement before heading after the blonde, his stomach growling.

Neji rubbed at his temples reminding himself that he was a man of valor. Something so insignificant as witnessing a sexual demonstration shouldn't leave him cowering like a rabbit beneath the brush. He was a scientist! A man of knowledge and bred to be the best!

Slowly, he turned his eyes to the side and watched the Uchiha shuffle near the food bar. He and Naruto were standing together pondering over the breadbasket.

They seemed to be getting along just fine. The prideful Uchiha had even handed the blonde a bagel without the accompaniment of venom laced comments. It was quite a sight.

"They seem a little different," Gaara whispered to him. Neji glanced at the redheaded man and nodded. It wasn't a colossal change in behavior and yet…the negative atmosphere that always appeared when the two of them were together was gone. Just like that. Gone.

"Hey, Gaara!" Naruto bounced over to the table happily holding a bagel in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, "Neji!"

The two men greeted him in return as they watched the blonde take a seat across from them. A split second later, Sasuke took the seat beside Naruto…even though there were plenty of available seats left. Neji and Gaara shared a look amongst themselves.

Baby steps, but it was progress nonetheless.

"Where is everyone?" Naruto asked after swallowing a big bite of his bagel, "It's usually packed in here at this time."

Neji shrugged his shoulders, feigning ignorance. He sipped at his coffee again wondering exactly when the rest of their friends were going to show up. Most of the older professors had left Shikamaru's place early last night, knowing they had to come in early the next morning. It was the closer of Sasuke and Naruto's friends that ended up falling asleep at the apartment.

Just then Ino ran into the staff lounge, her blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. She ran towards the back of the room, grabbed a purple gym bag from within a cabinet and ran into the bathroom, locking the door. Roughly three minutes later she reappeared wearing a completely different outfit. She glanced at the two curious faces looking at her and shrugged.

"I always have a spare set of close stashed here in case of emergencies."

Naruto frowned, "What happened, Ino?"

The blonde woman waived him off, "Oh nothing of importance." She glanced at her watch and sighed, "I have a class in five minutes so I'll talk to you guys later."

The four professors watched Ino strut out of the room, ponytail swishing behind her.

"Do you want to hear what happened to us last night?" Naruto said after taking a large gulp of coffee.

"Us?" Neji asked.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah. Sasuke and I were locked in the art studio. We were there all night and only managed to get out when Sai came to unlock it this morning!"

Gaara looked from Sasuke to Naruto, his face blank of emotion, "Why didn't you call for help?"

"Neither of us had a phone."

"Strange," Gaara agreed, "The security guards didn't come check the room when they saw you were still in it after ten?"

Sasuke shook his head, "Camera was taken down to be fixed."

"My," Neji leaned back in his chair and looked directly at both Naruto and Sasuke, "How unfortunate."

"Indeed." Gaara agreed.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and took another mighty bite out of his bagel.

:::

The week passed by in a blur for both students and professors alike.

Then came the Finals.

Students all over the campus could be seen tripping over their own two feet from the lack of sleep. Coffee cups littered the library tables and floors. Papers and notebooks were strewn everywhere the eye could see. Some students were busy cramming just a little bit more before their exams, others were trying to catch a few minutes of sleep before heading off to their next final.

Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon were sitting around one of the round tables in the library going over their chemistry notes one final time before they had to go and take the examination. The usually outgoing college attending med student was rubbing his temples as his two friends gazed at him with sympathetic looks.

"Crap!" He finally slammed down the notebook in his hand, "Who the hell cares about carbon decay? This isn't fucking organic chemistry!" Konohamaru leaned over in his chair and pushed his head against the table. Moegi and Udon looked at their friend understandingly.

"It's not that bad, Kono." Moegi grabbed his notebook and looked at the equations necessary to calculate carbon decay. Eyes crossing, she placed the notebook back on the table and gave Konohamaru a hearty pat on the back. "Think of it this way. Next semester when you take Organic Chemistry, you'll know more than the people from our class."

Konohamaru slumped farther in his seat, "I wish I could have had Hinata for Chemistry." He sighed, "Instead I had to deal with that fat old man the whole semester. It's not fair!"

"Professor Hyuga isn't as easy as you think," Udon sniffled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrinkly white tissue. Rubbing his nose, he gave his best friend a knowing look. "She maybe really nice outside school but in class…she is quite a force to be reckoned with."

Moegi nodded grimly, "Yeah. Our final isn't cumulative but it still encompasses a lot of the material we learned the second half of the semester. Anything is fair game."

Rolling his eyes at the poor attempt at making him feel better, Konohamaru sat up, "Well at least you guys don't have to take Organic Chemistry. I have another year's worth of this stupid shit! Seriously, when will I ever need to know how to calculate a patient's pressure under more than one atmosphere? I'll never use this crap after I become a doctor!"

"Nurses don't need this anymore more than doctors," Moegi stiffened, "Yet here I am, drowning myself in thermodynamics. It's not just you, you know."

He nodded, "Yeah, I know." Picking up his notebook, he turned to the last few pages and started staring anew. "But at least there's no Orgo in your future."

"Thank God for that," Udon mumbled, "I'm barely scrapping a C in Inorganic Chemistry. You know, I still have to keep my gpa above a 3.0 to be kept in the Physican's Assistant program."

"What do you have right now?" Moegi asked curiously.

"A 3.4," Udon said without blinking, "Too close for my comfort."

Konohamaru glanced at his cell phone and cringed, "Fifteen minutes left."

Moegi and Udon silently nodded. With growing trepidation, the three of them stood from their seats and began the slow trek out of the library.

:::

Naruto chewed on the cap of his red pen as he circled yet another wrong answer on the exam. Finals had finished yesterday and so thus began the grueling task of marking over four hundred test papers. He sat amongst the other professors in the staff lounge, slowly going through one exam after the other.

It had become a custom at Konoha University for all the professors to gather after the finals ended to grade exams together. And a great custom it was too. He couldn't even begin to imagine having to grade all these papers from inside his office. The deathly quiet would have been the end of him. At least here there was the pleasant hum of pens scratching on paper, chairs scraping against the tiled floor and the occasional throat clearing. It was still quiet, but the silence was more bearable when you had over fifty people enduring it with you.

Many of the professors weren't there like Sai, Kankuro and Lee. Those whose final examinations didn't attain a written quality had already sent in their grades to Shizune. The computer graphics, music and art departments were among the lucky ones

Naruto heard a chair scrape against the floor and looked up. A professor with curly brown hair wearing a tweed suit was shuffling his papers with a decadent smile. Naruto growled to himself as he watched the man leave. _Lucky bastard_, he turned his eyes back to the test paper in front of him and slumped.

Slowly but surely the number of professors dwindled down until there was roughly twenty of them left within the staff lounge. Naruto dropped his pen and flexed his fingers, trying to rid himself of the terrible cramp in his right hand. He glanced around the room again and sighed heavily.

Most of the Department heads were still there, though they were required to stay until everyone in their department finished grading their exams. Jiraiya was still finishing up some tests as well as Kakashi and Orochimaru. Yamato looked like he had just finished and Iruka was sitting in his chair browsing through a magazine.

It was just like last time. All the professors who taught harder courses were still there. Sakura and Kiba were still diligently working, so were Neji and Hinata.

Shikamaru, Choji and Tenten had left a couple of hours ago and it looked like Temari was just about ready to go too.

Picking up his dropped pen, Naruto glumly went back to work. However, before his pen touched the test paper he stole a glance at Sasuke. The raven was still working through a pile of exams. Obsidian eyes completely focused at the task at hand. Naruto watched him out of the corner of his eye as Sasuke flipped over a graded exam and made a note in his grade book. The supercilious Uchiha sat only two seats down from him and yet Naruto felt like the man was sitting right beside him breathing down his neck. He shivered as the memory of waking up pressed against that lean muscular body rushed to the forefront of his mind. He could still feel it, that warm puff of air hitting his forehead. That slender arm pushing him close while at the same time fisting the back of his shirt.

Hitting himself with his pen, Naruto pulled himself out of the memory and tried to focus on finishing up the exams. His mind wandered while the pen moved in his hand, making notes and marks all over the test paper. It had been a pleasant feeling, warm and safe. However he couldn't quite figure out if he wanted to ever find himself in a situation like that with the Uchiha again. Indeed he did find him attractive, he'd have to be blind or insane not to see what other people found so appealing about those striking features. Yet there was still a gnawing feeling at his heart. A pressure unlike any other he had experienced before. It confused him.

At first he didn't notice any change in their relationship, other than the constant fighting suddenly coming to an end. Gaara was the first to point out to him that he had been staring at Sasuke during one particular lunch break. Temari had also made a comment. Unlike before, he and Sasuke now exchanged pleasantries, something that had never happened. Another strange thing that happened was that when he'd come in to the staff lounge one morning, Sasuke had been busy buzzing around the coffee machine. As soon as he had come up to the coffee maker, Sasuke had handed him the cup he had intended for himself, and began pouring himself a new one.

Maybe they were becoming friends? Naruto crossed out another wrong answer before flipping the exam over and writing the grade on the top of the paper. Did he even want to be friends Sasuke?

Suddenly the door to the staff lounge opened. Naruto looked up to see Konohamaru shuffling in, a heavy green scarf wrapped securely around his neck. Immediately, the blonde stiffened as all heads looked up from what they were doing. Most of the professors here didn't mind his little brother visiting him in the staff lounge. Heck, it was probably one of the professors who swiped him in and granted his brother access.

Sakura tensed and glanced towards Sasuke, Kiba too. Stealthily, all ex members of operation malt balls watched in growing unease as Sasuke slowly looked up and took note of the unauthorized student standing in the middle of the staff lounge.

"Hey, Naruto," Konohamaru pulled off his scarf and looked his step-brother in the eye, "Gramps wants you over for dinner tonight. Uncle Asuma is coming too."

"Couldn't you call me or something?" Naruto said while trying to keep his voice low.

The college boy shrugged, "I wanted to call but Gramps insisted I tell you in person. You know he doesn't like techy stuff." Konohamaru crossed his arms and peered over Naruto's shoulder, "Have you graded mine yet?"

"I graded yours," Gaara said, his green eyes trained on the young man.

"Oh," Konohamaru swallowed, "What did I get?"

"You'll find out like everyone else once the grades are posted online."

Ino exchanged looks with Temari and smirked. Sasuke hadn't said anything. After seeing who had come inside his eyes darted back down to his work. Not even a grunt escaping his lips. Kakashi smirked beneath his mask as he watched the two brothers wrap up their conversation. The corners of his eyes crinkled when after Konohamaru left Naruto glanced at Sasuke warily. The blonde was surprised to find the Uchiha completely focused on his work with no intent on reporting his younger brother. The look on Naruto's face had Jiraiya holding back a snort.

Secretly Sakura pumped Kiba's fist under the table with a small smile resting pleasantly on her face. Finally, the two were starting to get along.

Baby steps.

Eventually Naruto turned back to his exams though the expression of wonder and confusion still plagued his features. Gaara watched his sister whisper something into Ino's ear before standing, gathering her things and heading towards the door.

"The schedule for next semester has been posted." Iruka said as he scanned the University's webpage. Some of the professors put their pens down and went to look at the schedule visible on Iruka's laptop screen. Naruto leaned on Kiba's shoulder and looked. He had two early morning classes, three midmorning classes, a scattering of afternoon classes and two late night classes. He sighed and was about to go back to grading his exams when something caught his eye. Right under his two hour teaching block was Sasuke's name. Apparently, advanced calculus was going to be offered in the same room as his Historical Literature class; with Naruto teaching from two to four and Sasuke teaching from four to six. Not only that but also, both classes were being offered three times a week.

Naruto stepped back and glanced at the raven haired professor. Sasuke hadn't even bothered to come look at the schedule. He remained seated in his chair, grading his final exams like there was nothing more important than getting them done.

"Damn it," Kiba wailed, "Seven thirty? Who the hell wants to learn Biology at night?"

Sakura jabbed the whining man in the gut shrewdly before smiling widely at Yamato. The Biology Head was giving Kiba a scathing look, one Sakura would very much not like directed at her.

"The Biology blocks are nicely organized, sir." Sakura smiled again, "It seems like the Dean loved your arrangement for this semester."

Yamato sighed, "Actually the Dean moved a lot of what I put together around." The long faced man looked back at the screen, "I sure hope summer doesn't come quickly this year…if it does those fetal pigs are going to give off quite a stench."

Sakura paled as she remembered that this semester her classes were going to be dissecting preserved cats. Her stomach churned as bile quickly began ascending her esophagus. "Excuse me." She mumbled before sprinting into the bathrooms in back.

After hearing the first heave, both Sasuke and Naruto rushed out the door with apologies falling from their lips. Orochimaru covered up a chuckle with a pale hand while Jiraiya just all out snorted. Yamato looked at the two older men and just shook his head.

The rest of the professors attempted to get back to work, although it was a little more difficult as Sakura's heaving was quite an unwelcome distraction.

:::

After finishing grading all the final exams, Sakura handed her grade book in to Shizune and quickly walked out of the university. Jumping in her car, she put the keys into the ignition and drove out of the campus parking lot. Glancing at her watch, she sighed in relief. She still had a good half hour before her appointment with Doctor Kurenai Sarutobi.

She wasn't very worried. After all this happened to her more times then she could count. It was probably another PID flare up. She'd just have Kurenai confirm her suspicions and write up a prescription for an antibiotic.

Stopping at a red light Sakura sighed deeply. It was quite disconcerting how this problem kept reappearing in her life –first after the rape, then when she was a student in college and now! This was really starting to irk her. At least she caught it pretty early this time. She'd only missed her period twice. Driving into the parking lot reserved for the Obstetrics and Gynecology patients, Sakura calmly parked her car in an empty lot and got out.

Walking into the building, she hummed to herself thinking about the winter vacation plans she and the rest of the girls had come up with. Ino had found this amazing ski resort a half a day's drive from Konoha. It would be a perfect couple of days learning to ski, drinking hot cocoa near a fireplace and dancing at the club hosted by the resort.

Yes, it was going to be awesome.

A couple of days there and then Christmas at home. Nothing could be more exciting.

"Sakura!" Kurenai walked out to greet her longtime patient, her white coat sitting pleasantly on her frame. She gave the rosette an affectionate hug before ushering her into an examination room.

Sakura cut right to the chase, "I missed my period again…twice."

Kurenai frowned, "You think it's PID again?"

"Yeah," Sakura nodded and began counting down on her fingers, "Tenderness in the belly area, nausea, no menstruations and the constant need to pee."

"I see," standing up, Kurenai motioned for Sakura to get into the stirrups sitting barely three feet away. Swallowing her pride the green eyed Anatomy professor seated herself in the 'chair of humiliation,' planting her feet firmly in the footrests. Eyes staring up at the ceiling she lifted her knee length black skirt and waited.

Kurenai carefully pulled on a pair of white examination gloves before sitting on her wheeled stool and pushing herself to her ready patient.

"How is everything going?" She said as she quickly pulled off Sakura's underwear. The small talk helped lessen the awkwardness of the situation.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders, "Pretty much the same –oh wait! You'll never believe this," excitement rising in her voice, "Sasuke and Naruto are finally getting along for once!"

The raven haired doctor sat up suddenly, her amber eyes wide, "Really?"

Sakura nodded, "Of course they had a lot of help. If you left this all up to them they'd still be shouting at each other from opposite sides of the room."

"What did you do?"

"It wasn't just me," Sakura sighed, "Most of our friends were involved, even some of the other professors in the university. Shikamaru led the whole operation."

Kurenai blinked in disbelief, "That lazy friend of Naruto's? That in itself is unbelievable."

Sakura chuckled, "Yeah. Though I think the real reason he did it was so he could have a peaceful break in the staff lounge. Peace was something that came about rarely when Sasuke and Naruto both had breaks at the same time."

"Hm," Kurenai smiled, "Sometimes I can't believe how time flies. I feel like he was just twelve years old and coming to me for help with his math homework…"

"I think things are finally turning up." Sakura relaxed and folded her arms over her chest, "Also, I heard Choji talking to Shikamaru. Looks like we're going to be having ourselves a wedding."

"About time," Kurenai said as she continued to examine Sakura, "That boy should have asked her years ago. How long has it been now?"

"Close to five years."

"High time to get married." Kurenai nodded, "So, anyone special in your life, Sakura?"

The rosette shrugged, "Not really. Lee asked me to go see a movie with him a couple of weeks ago…but he's not for me."

"Hm," Kurenai sat up, "I didn't feel any lumps and everything looks fine however, I'm going to run an ultrasound test to rule out any ovarian cysts. Those little devils always have a way of hiding from me." Standing up, Kurenai removed her gloves and walked over to a shiny black phone resting on the medical counter. "Yakumo, please make sure the ultrasound machine is ready for use. I'll be bringing up a patient."

Sakura sat up, pushed down her skirt and got to her feet. Worry evident on her face as she watched Kurenai converse with her medical assistant. Cysts were no laughing matter; they required surgery to be removed. She swallowed hard and gripped her bag closer to her chest, mind racing and already imagining worst case scenarios.

"Alright, Sakura," Kurenai called as she opened the door, "Just follow me."

Nodding, Sakura strode right up to her doctor and friend and proceeded to follow the woman to an elevator.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Kurenai tried to assure her worried patient. "It's just a necessary precaution. Most likely there isn't anything there…maybe you're just really stressed. Sometimes stress can take physical forms and it does cause some women to miss their periods as well as feel nauseous."

Sakura nodded her head slowly, her mind refusing to believe that to be the case. Knowing her luck it was probably something awful. As they walked into the sonogram room, Kurenai instructed Sakura to lie down on the cushioned table while she readied the transducer. The rosette shakily got on the table and lied herself flat, picking up her shirt.

"Now this is going to be a little cold," Kurenai said as she gently squeezed out a green gel onto the lower portion of Sakura's abdomen. "I'm going to slide this sensor over your uterus and fallopian tubes," she showed her the transducer. Sakura glanced at the sensor and nodded her head in understanding.

With the utmost of care, Kurenai pushed the sensor over Sakura's abdomen, her fiery amber eyes focused entirely on the sonogram screen. Sakura had shut her eyes tight knowing that her knowledge of the human body would betray her in this situation. One unobstructed glance and she would know what was wrong. What if it was cancer? Uterine cancer? She could die! How big was the tumor? Chemotherapy would cause her to lose all her hair, not to mention the pain and constant hospitalization. She shuddered.

"Sakura," Kurenai's voice was low, "I think you should take a look at this."

"Is it c-cancer?" Sakura whispered. Her eyes shut even tighter.

Kurenai's head snapped towards her patient, face shocked, "No. It's nothing bad…well I wouldn't think it was bad. Some people hate this news though."

Slowly Sakura opened her eyes. Her gaze shifted to the large black and white screen. Mouth falling open she braced herself on her elbows, "That's…that's…"

"A fetus," Kurenai nodded, "Sakura, you're pregnant…and from what I could tell, it's about six to eight weeks along."

* * *

**PID- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. ****An infection of a woman's pelvic organs. The pelvic organs include the ****uterus****, ****fallopian tubes****, ****ovaries**** and ****cervix.**

**Most of you figured it out from the little clues and hints I left. Yay you, but please don't hate me. This is absolutely necessary for my storyline. **

**Favs and Reviews are most wanted and greatly appreciated!**


	12. Cat's Out of the Bag

**I know many of you aren't very happy with me right now (I get why). But please understand that I have everything already planned out. I did make some slight changes to my storyboard but believe me when I say this, I know what I'm doing and this **_**is**_** a SASUNARU story.**

**Remember, no one is forcing you to read this. I'm not holding a gun to your head and demanding you read. Everyone has an opinion and is entitled to share it if they want. Go ahead and flame if you feel you have to, but I will finish this story no matter what you say. They might depress me a bit, but so what? Life's tough and I deal.**

**Okay, enough rambling. Here's the next chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Cat's Out of the Bag

Naruto heaved his bag into the back of Choji's Lincoln green SUV while Kiba marched out of the building entrance with a can of soda in his hand, sipping it casually. Shikamaru gave the brunette a questioning look as he leaned against the side door of the car, arms crossed.

"You're drinking a can of soda," he said dryly, "When we're about to leave on a six hour trip up North?"

Kiba shrugged his shoulders as he hopped into the car and squeezed past Lee to get to the back row. Gaara and Neji glanced at each other with concerned looks on their faces. The thought of sharing the back seat with the loud mouthed Inuzuka was just asking for the demons within them to spring forth. Nonetheless, both men resigned to bare the angst silently as Kiba made himself comfortable upon the leather seats.

"Temari just called and said Kankuro won't be able to come," Choji said once he got off his phone. "So it's just going to be the eight of us in here."

"Where's Shino?" Naruto asked as he closed the trunk of the car with a bang, "I thought he was going to come with us and Lee was going in Temari's car."

"Shino volunteered to go in the girl's car," Kiba grumbled as he pulled a stick of gum from his coat pocket, "Sai is going with them as well. Don't know why _he'd_ ever want to be in that car aimed straight for hell. That's_ way _too much estrogen for me."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, "Any amount of estrogen is too much for you."

The corner of Naruto's mouth twitched upwards as he sat himself down next to the raven haired man bundled up in a long coat.

"Bastardiness is hard to get rid of I see."

Furrowing his brow Sasuke answered back stiffly, "Because of him we'll be stopping at every rest stop within the hour. By then you won't find my comment so disagreeable."

Both Neji and Gaara _already_ found Sasuke's comment quite agreeable as they were squished to the side of the automobile as Kiba stretched out his arms to take off his coat. Yes, Sasuke's comment was downright lovely at the moment. Gaara's nostrils flared angrily as his head hit against the car window.

"Well then we're ready to go," Shikamaru said as he opened the passenger side door and got in. The men waited patiently for Choji to buckle up before the pudgy man put the key into the ignition. Instantly a wave of heat hit Naruto's face.

Being in between Sasuke and Lee, the warm air from the front washed over him first. He smiled as he leaned back in his seat. Shoulders touching both Lee's and Sasuke's. As Choji pulled away from their apartment building, Lee hit the stopwatch button on the side of his wristwatch.

"Okay!" He said excitedly, "I estimate that we will arrive at Yukigakure resort in six hours and thirteen minutes. If I am wrong then I will volunteer to room with Sai at the resort!"

Six pairs of eyes looked at the green clad man in disbelief.

"Okay, Lee," Kiba grinned, "You do that." The bowl haired man nodded and turned his head to look out the window, intent on reading every sign they passed.

After an hour's worth of driving Naruto finally couldn't take it any longer, "Let's play a car game!" He said hastily, "I am so fucking bored."

"Good idea!" Kiba nodded enthusiastically as he too was drawing near his silence limit.

"I'm not playing," Shikamaru drawled from the front. He had curled up in his seat and had his eyes closed in an attempt to get some sleep.

"I'll turn on some music if you're bored," Choji said.

"No music," Neji rubbed his temples wearily, "I have a slight headache."

"Ah," Choji frowned, "Sorry, Neji. I think Ino has some Tylenol hidden in the glove compartment if you want."

The long haired man shook his head, "No, it's not that bad. I'd rather just wait it out."

"Suit yourself."

"Hey, you know what I want to know," Kiba said with a mischievous glint in his eye, "How come you and Sasuke are getting along now, Naruto? Three weeks ago you would have ripped each other's heads off by now."

"They still yell though," Lee said sadly, "If yesterday was anything to go by."

"Everyone yells," Naruto grumbled, "Sakura was yelling at Kiba too when he wanted to bring his six by four sled."

"Stupid bitch," Kiba grumbled darkly, "It's not like it was going to inconvenience her or anything."

Sasuke and Naruto shot the loud man in back dirty looks, "Shut up, Kiba." They said in unison.

"Now reading each other's minds are you," Neji said smugly, earning him another glare from the dynamic duo.

"Would you prefer us being at each other's throats?" Naruto growled.

"No." Was echoed by everyone in the car.

"Dobe," Sasuke grumbled, "Your sitting on the edge of my coat."

Naruto gave Sasuke an indignant look, "Who cares? It's not like you're going to be getting up anytime soon."

"It will wrinkle the material."

"No it won't."

"Dobe."

"Bastard."

"Get off my fucking coat."

"Make me," Naruto's eyes shown with interest as he watched the thoughts race through the Uchiha's head.

Thinking he had won their small battle, he smiled to himself smugly. Moving his eyes to the front the blonde leaned back and closed his lids only to yelp sharply two seconds later.

In order to remove Naruto from his coat Sasuke had resorted to pinching the sensitive skin of Naruto's thigh.

The blonde looked at the Uchiha with widened eyes as he rubbed his abused leg. "Jack ass." He muttered darkly.

"Hn."

After about another hour the gang had to stop because just as Sasuke predicted, Kiba needed to use the bathroom or 'he'd burst.' Gaara had suggested on leaving the idiot at the rest station to teach him a lesson but the rest of the men thought that would be too cruel. Instead, they had decided to miss every next rest stop until Kiba was yelling bloody murder. By the time they got to the resort, Kiba had cursed and disgraced every living being on the planet in one form or the other. Everyone had been quite glad to finally reach their destination. Some more than others.

Sasuke had been awfully glad to get out of the car. Sitting next to Naruto for the better half of the day proved a little too much for him. His mind kept drifting towards waters he daren't think of crossing. It was much safer standing on the dry bank where his footing was assured. Looking out at the sea and admiring it on occasion was something he could deal with. Having the urge to jump head first into the unknown was another matter all together. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Naruto open the trunk and pull out his bag of things. A tendril of silky blonde hair escaped the confines of his hat and hugged that slender jaw tenderly. Sasuke gulped as he found himself imagining moving that lock of hair as the blonde lay writhing beneath him on a bed made of finely powdered snow. _Fuck,_ he blinked,_ What the hell is wrong with me? Damn it…I got to stop thinking this way. Quick, say something mean._

"You look like a fucking idiot, dobe."

Naruto turned his head and glared at the charcoal eyed man, "At least _I_ don't have a poll shoved up my ass, bastard."

Sasuke felt the anger rising from the depths of his stomach and internally heaved a sigh of relief. _There, that should do it._ Marching over to the trunk of Choji's car, he grabbed his luggage and strode towards the main entrance of Yukigakure. Naruto gripped the handle of his bag tightly and almost shut the trunk on Kiba's fingers. The brunette had barely enough time to remove his digits from their dangerous location before losing them all together. Clutching his almost severed fingers to his chest, Kiba watched with sucked in cheeks as Naruto angrily stomped after the Uchiha into the resort complex.

"Did you see that?" Choji said with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"How he almost severed my fingers?" Kiba said as he examined his hand.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "It's not our problem anymore, Choji." Sticking his hands into his pockets, the lazy man shuffled into the resort entrance a bag slung over his shoulder.

Everyone dispersed into the rooms they had agreed on upon arrival. Kiba, Naruto and Gaara were staying in one room, while Neji, Sasuke and Shino stayed in another. The couples Shikamaru and Temari and Ino and Choji each had a one bedroom suite. Sakura, Hinata and Tenten were also rooming together. That left Lee and Sai sharing a room. The pale art instructor grimaced when he found out he'd be rooming with the loud and equally annoying Rock Lee.

Already he could feel a headache coming on as he unpacked his things in the provided closet.

Since the sky had grown inky black by the time everyone unpacked, the gang decided to check out what the place had to offer. All five girls instantly headed to the resort hosted spa on the second floor. Eager to get the stress and anxiety rubbed right out of their bodies.

Shikamaru decided to stay in his room and catch up on some sleep while the rest of the guys headed to the indoor arcade. Within the span of fifteen minutes Sasuke, Naruto, Neji and Gaara were locked in a fierce battle of air hockey.

"Point for us," Neji said decorously as the puck slid right into the goal on Sasuke and Naruto's end. The blonde threw his head back and let out a curse while Sasuke just glared at the smirking Hyuga, hoping to intimidate the two men with his scowl. Gaara's mouth twitched as he gave Neji a low high five.

"Alright, bastard," Naruto said with a look of determination in his eye. "No more funny business. We're in it to win it."

"Hn." Sasuke agreed and grabbed the puck, serving it clear across the table.

Choji watched with evident amusement as both Naruto and Sasuke exerted themselves, lunging left and right in order to keep the other team from scoring yet another point. Right before his eyes, the troublesome twosome turned into a well oiled fighting machine. He chuckled as Sasuke hit the puck and sent it sailing directly into the opposing team's goal.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto cheered, giving Sasuke a high five. Smiling back at the blonde, the Uchiha clapped his hand against Naruto's. "Eat that, Gaara!"

The redhead rolled his eyes not quite enjoying this game anymore. Neji winced as Sasuke and Naruto scored yet another point on them, tying them game.

"Psst," Naruto whispered to Sasuke as Neji and Gaara discussed strategy on their end. The raven turned towards the blonde with a questioning look in his ebony black eyes. Naruto motioned him to lean in.

"Lodge it like you did in the second round. Gaara keeps forgetting to defend the middle. If you can bounce it off at the precise angel, we can win the game."

Sasuke nodded his head as he quickly began calculating the proper trajectory. With his signature smirk in place, he waited for Neji to serve.

As the puck came sailing towards him, Sasuke's hold on the plastic mallet tightened. With one swift movement, he hit the flying puck with the side of his mallet and watched as it bounced off the wall and went catapulting straight into Gaara's goal. The redhead blinked, green eyes disbelieving.

Naruto and Sasuke smiled smugly at the losing team.

Neji sighed and shoved his mallet away from himself. Grabbing the still shocked Gaara by the shoulder, the grey eyed man led him towards their group of spectator friends.

"Man," Kiba grinned as he leaned against the metal railing, "They really busted your balls at the end. Didn't they?"

One deadly look from Gaara had Kiba wishing he could rewind time and take his comment back. Those unholy jade eyes pierced through him like a knife through melted butter. The brunette gave a visible shiver as Gaara walked passed him to take a seat at the table. Choji had somehow procured a box of French fries and was happily munching on them with Lee.

Meanwhile, after having gotten over the sudden euphoria of winning, Sasuke quickly found himself in an uncomfortable situation with a still excited Naruto.

"That was awesome!" The blonde grinned as he described the look on Gaara's face again when Sasuke had made the winning goal. With a good natured laugh, Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Immediately the Uchiha stiffened as little electric shockwaves rippled from the warm hand resting on his shoulder. Heart racing, Sasuke shook the blonde's hand off and brushed off his shirt in an attempt to rid the essence of Naruto from himself.

Used to Sasuke's cold personality the blonde didn't take offense to the rude gesture. He just rolled his eyes and went to join the rest of his friends who after witnessing Neji and Gaara's embarrassing defeat, began picking on the two men. Neji looked like he was ready to grab someone by throat and give them a good shake while Gaara just oozed murderous intent. Naruto smiled and pulled Kiba down to sit next to him. The brunette laughed and stole a French fry from Choji who had just smothered the poor fry in buckets of ketchup. Everyone laughed (Neji, Gaara and Sasuke snickered of course) as Choji slapped Kiba upside the head. The poor brunette coughed, nearly choking on the fried potato he had thought he swallowed.

"What was that for?" He asked after finally relearning the complicated art of breathing.

Choji gave him an indignant look, "My food."

:::

Sakura rubbed her gloved hands together as she, Ino and Hinata got onto the ski lift the next morning. The three girls squished together as they sat, each glowing with excitement as the winter wind bit at their cheeks. Hinata gasped as they began to move, her long dark hair whipping into her face. Ino pulled out her phone and started to take pictures of the majestic mountains all covered with a heavy blanket of snow. The lift creaked slightly but none of them seemed to mind as they edged closer and closer to their first slope. Sakura sat quietly between her two close friends, firming up her resolve.

"Guys?" she whispered.

The two girls didn't hear her. They were too busy marveling at the magnificent display before them so Sakura cleared her throat and raised her voice, "Guys!"

Hinata and Ino turned to look at the bundled up rosette with questioning glances.

"What?" Ino said as she snapped her phone closed. Sniffling and burrowing her chin into her purple scarf.

Sakura licked her dry lips, "I'm pregnant."

Hinata's eyes widened while Ino's brow furrowed, "What do you mean you're pregnant? You can't _get _pregnant."

Sakura sighed, "Well I am. Two months along, thanks for asking."

"Sakura," Hinata whispered, "Is it…is it –"

She nodded.

They remained silent for some time, listening to the creaking sound of the lift transporting them slowly over the resort. Ino finally broke the uncomfortable quiet, her features tense.

"Well what are you going to do?" She said seriously, "Have you thought about it?"

"I have," Sakura nodded again. She then turned and looked both girls in the eye, "But I'm going to need your help. Can I count on you two?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Ino said wryly.

Hinata smiled and took Sakura's gloved hand in hers, "We're with you, Sakura. Always have been and always will be."

"Yeah," Ino took Sakura's other hand, "We're thick as thieves and have been since kindergarten."

Sakura let out a small chuckle, "Alright."

"So…"

"I'm keeping the baby," Sakura said firmly, "But there is no way in hell that I'm going to tell Naruto."

"You have to!" Ino said, "It's his kid."

"He doesn't have to know that," Sakura reminded her worrisome friend, "I can just say that it was a one night stand with some random guy at a bar. He'll never know unless I tell him…which I won't. Not when he and Sasuke are making such progress."

"Sakura –"

"No!" Green eyes flashed angrily, "I will not ruin this! I've worked too hard for all this to come crumbling down. Do you remember how hard I tried to make them get along at school?" Sakura looked fiercely from one face to the other, "It's enough…"

"The others are going to figure it out." Ino said quietly, "Once the baby is born…they're not stupid. Everyone remembers you slept with Naruto…it had caused us all quite a problem."

Sakura nodded, "I know." She smiled, "But remember what Shino said…they're not going to meddle. They might reach a conclusion of their own but none of them will say anything. I'm sure of it."

"Sasuke will figure it out," Hinata pressed, "What then?"

Sakura furrowed her brow, "Then…then I'll jump that hurdle when it gets here. I still have time."

"They're both going to hate you for this," Ino glared at her friend, "Is that what you want? To lie your way through this?"

"It's my kid!" Sakura glared at the blonde woman, "Naruto and I aren't married, he can't do anything about it and it has nothing to do with Sasuke, so I don't see why he has to know. He can't hate me for it!"

"But Naruto can," Hinata said, brow furrowed, "You can't do this!"

"Hinata," Sakura begged, "I thought I'd never have a child of my own. I thought I'd never get to give life…to create something so wonderful as a little girl or little boy." She lowered her head, "I've always wanted to be a mother. I'd made such plans when I was in high school…get married…have five kids…and then…then things went south a-and I was told that I'd never have children. That my…my…anyway," Sakura looked up determinedly. "This is my kid. Naruto doesn't have to know it's his and if Sasuke finds out…he's a man of honor…he…he won't betray me…he'll keep my secret even if he doesn't like it, because it's not his secret to share."

"If Naruto finds out, he can take you to court and sue for joint custody," Ino said quietly.

Sakura bit her lip, "He wouldn't do that."

"He would," Ino said evenly, "If he's mad enough, he would."

"He won't," Sakura said to herself, "He wouldn't do that to me."

"Fine," Ino sighed, "But I'm just letting you know that this is stupid."

"You won't support me then?" Her voice cracked.

Ino gave her a wry look, "Oh I will support you, forehead," Ino tried to give Sakura a smile, "But I'm just saying…things can go pretty bad for you."

"I know," Sakura whispered, "I just hope God will be on my side this time," She looked up at the wintry sky, "He's made enough bad things happen in my life…it's time he did something good for a change."

"Hinata," Ino looked at their silent friend, "You in?"

The ivory skinned woman sighed, "I guess, but if Naruto gets angry enough to take you to c-court, I'll be supporting him," Hinata looked directly into Sakura's jade eyes, "Because what your doing isn't right. I think you should tell him."

"Hina–"

The dark haired woman shook her head, "You are my friend…b-but understand this. He is my friend too, and if he decides to do something about this when he finds out, I will be behind him one hundred percent. A-as this s-secret was e-entrusted to me, I will keep it…and try to help you…b-but," Hinata looked fiercely into Sakura's eyes, "I do not like this one bit."

Sakura nodded, "Fine."

Ino stared out at the expanse of white, "Well now my good mood is gone," she grumbled, "thanks."

Sakura had the decency to look down and apologize. Ino sighed and put her hand over her longtime friend's shoulder. They sat like that for a few minutes before Sakura broke the silence once more. "Also," she wetted her lips nervously, "I wanted to hurry up Sasuke and Naruto's relationship. It's…I think it's time. Enough of them dancing around each other…I'm creating my own team." She looked from one shocked face to the other, "Will you help me?"

Hinata and Ino exchanged glances, "This is crazy." Ino said after a whole minute of silence, but the shimmering hope in Sakura's sea green eyes melted her resolve and she smiled, "But I'm in."

"Me too." Hinata said with a sigh, "Just to make sure you two don't do anything too crazy."

"Great!" Sakura grinned, "We'll be known as Team Power Puff!"

Ino's face instantly fell and the vein in her forehead made its presence known, "LIKE HELL WE WILL!"

:::

Naruto grinned as he stomped in the snow towards his friend. The North wind hit him directly in the face causing the ears of his hat to point backwards in a comical fashion. A few feet away Sasuke had his skis strapped on tightly and a pair of goggles sitting snuggly on his face. Grinning to himself, the blonde pressed the ears of his hat to his cheeks and stood beside Shikamaru who was staring at the slope with a look of disinterest.

Blue eyes glowed brightly as they watched Sasuke push off and head down the slope. A small smile played across his stubborn tanned face as he watched the raven haired man swivel to the side with the grace of a mountain lion.

"He's good," Naruto thought aloud, "Even on skis."

Shikamaru turned his head to look at his companion, a hint of amusement in his eye. "You sure have been talking about him a lot these days."

Looking up at his friend, Naruto furrowed his brow, "No I haven't."

The lazy man shrugged, "I don't care one way or the other…but you have." He stretched his back and turned his body so that he was now facing the shorter man. "And you've been staring at him a lot too."

"No I haven't!"

Shikamaru gave his friend a sour look, "I'm not blind. Your eyes were on him more than on the exams you were supposed to be grading.

Grabbing a hold of his hat as another wind blew, Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "I wasn't staring at him during the staff grading session," his cheeks colored involuntarily, "It just might have seemed that way."

Raising one eyebrow the knowing man smirked, "He was looking at you too."

Instantly those ocean blue eyes widened, "He was?"

"But since I was wrong about you staring at him…I'm probably wrong about him staring at you…after all it might have just _seemed_ that way."

Naruto's heart pounded fiercely in his chest as Shikamaru's words repeated in his head. Sasuke had been staring at him? Why hadn't he seen? Wait…why did he care? So what if he was staring at him? That jerk meant nothing to him….nothing…he…had just been stretching his neck and Sasuke was just sitting in his line of sight! He didn't care…and…Sasuke was still an asshole! He…he…he…

The blonde suddenly found himself drawing a blank.

He what?

Had taken him to the bathroom when they were locked in together.

Gotten him coffee.

Opened the door for him instead of slamming it in his face.

Conversed politely.

Helped him own Gaara in air hockey.

Then again, he still called him an idiot and somehow managed to aggravate him in ways others just couldn't. Like on the car ride over here! With that stupid coat! Honestly what the hell, right?

Not to mention his snarky comments.

His cooler than thou demeanor.

His pride, oh Sasuke sure loved his pride.

And…and…

And what?

Naruto blinked, frowning as he realized that for some reason…for some _reason_…these things didn't bother him as much as they did before.

In fact, if Sasuke had stopped calling him 'dobe,' Naruto feared he might just have to find some priest and let him know the apocalypse was coming. He couldn't imagine what it would be like if Sasuke all of a sudden stopped calling him that. He…he had that name for years! The bastard had been calling him that ever since he could remember…He was a dobe, damn it! And he'd better stay one. It would just be too strange if he never heard the prick call him 'dobe' again…he was Sasuke's dobe…he was…he was…

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Shikamaru said sharply as he witnessed Naruto's rosy face suddenly go stark white.

"I'm-I'ma gonna go ski now." Naruto mumbled as he slowly began to walk away, head swimming.

Shikamaru sighed as he watched Naruto stumble across the plane. A gust of wind nearly blowing over the inattentive blonde as he waddled off in his skis. "Troublesome."

:::

Sasuke glided over the snowy mountain with his ski poles tucked under his arms. The sun had already passed its highest point in the sky, signaling that nightfall wasn't too far away. Grunting, Sasuke used the poles to increase his momentum. Hoping the thrill of whipping past the world at such a speed would pull his thoughts away from a certain blue eyed blonde.

That Uzumaki was starting to become a real problem for him. Ever since he woke up in that art studio with the blonde pressed up against him, his mind had been at war with his body. He could still feel him sleeping in his arms. That feathery soft blonde hair caressing his chin, that trouser clad leg tangled with his own, hands pressed to his chest securely…Sasuke gritted his teeth as he felt his arousal resurfacing like a three headed beast. No matter how many times he cut off those tantalizing thoughts or stimulating images the beast came back stronger, faster and hungrier than before.

His mind trailed over the memory of their kiss at the rally. Against his better judgment, his brain replayed the memory of him pressing his lips to those succulent rosy ones. That pleasant shock he'd experienced when his tongue met with that of his rivals. That growing heat, those pleasurable shivers and that lustful groan.

No.

He had to cease that train of thought right now.

Sasuke pondered as he neared the end of his trail about stopping and ripping his parka off to roll in the frozen snow.

Maybe that would cool him down; nothing else seemed to be working.

He shook his head and groaned.

All he had to do was make it to tomorrow when they'd be leaving. He'd volunteer to ride in the girl's car so he wouldn't have to be near the enigma that was Naruto Uzumaki. Christmas was in three days –he'd spend it with Itachi and his uncle…then have a three week long break from seeing Naruto's face. By then he should have everything sorted out. No more stealing glances at the blonde when no one was watching, no more fantasizing about him at night, no more shaming himself by releasing into his hand. No more Naruto.

Maybe he'd even call Suigetsu, his friend from college. That guy used to have a crush on him…yeah, he'd give him a call over break. They'd go for some drinks and then if all went well, romp into the early hours of the morning.

Sasuke grunted.

Yeah, that sounded good.

:::

Sakura watched both Naruto and Sasuke from her seat at the bar, a glass of water in her hand. Ino and Hinata sat beside her, each sporting an alcoholic beverage to their liking. Tenten and Temari were on the dance floor shaking up a storm, having a blast on their last day of the trip.

"This is just sad," Sakura shook her head in disbelief, "Of all days, they chose _this_ one to revert to their old selves and avoid each other!"

Sasuke was on one side of the room standing beside Shino, watching the crowd dance to the beat of the music. On the other side, Naruto, Kiba and Lee were standing around a tall round table munching on peanuts.

"Ridiculous," Sakura turned in her seat and faced the bartender, "Hey!" she called. The honey haired man looked up, a clean glass in his hand. Sakura beckoned him to come over. "How much do they tip you here?" She asked.

The bartender gave the rosette a weird look but then shrugged his shoulders, "It depends on the type of customers. Usually ranges from five to twenty bucks." He said with a little bit of a Northern accent.

Sakura smiled and motioned with her head, "See that guy with blonde hair standing at the far table over there eating nuts?" The man lifted his head and after spotting the blonde nodded, "Now see that dark haired guy leaning against the wall next to the man with the reflecting glasses?"

The bartender squinted but then nodded again a minute later, "What of them?"

Sakura grinned as she exchanged quick glances with her partners in crime before turning her attention back to the bartender, "I am going to bring them both here. Let them order anything –say the drinks are on the house. I'll pay."

The man frowned, thinking he would be dealing with another stalker, "Alright…anything else?"

Sakura nodded, "I want you to tell them you think they look good together."

"What?"

He wasn't expecting hearing _that_.

"Tell them you thought they were together and stuff," Ino butted in. "Say that they look hot together and you can tell they want to jump one another!"

"Hell no!"

"We'll tip you fifty bucks for it," Sakura said slyly, "And if they leave together we'll add on another fifty."

They watched as the young man mulled over the information, the gears in his head turning. If he played his cards right, he could make himself a hundred dollars richer. Then again…what if those guys were psycho? He furrowed his brow, weighing the odds. After thinking about it for another two minutes, he shut his mouth and smiled, "One gay cupid at your service." He said as he made a mock bow. Hinata stifled a giggle as Sakura stretched out her hand for the man to shake.

"C'mon, Hinata," Ino said excitedly, "Let's get those idiots over here."

And before Sasuke and Naruto knew it, they were sitting at the bar with Sakura between them, a glass of scotch in their hands.

"Wasn't this great?" Sakura said smiling, "I swear this has been the greatest vacation I've had in a long time." She put her arms around both Sasuke and Naruto and grinned, "Especially since you two have been getting along. It really makes me happy."

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged looks before nodding their heads. Indeed the rosette looked like she was in high spirits. In fact, she seemed to be glowing with happiness. A small chuckle escaped her small rosebud mouth as she caught the eye of the bartender.

"Hey!" She called to him as she stood from her seat, pulling a camera out of her pant pocket, "Hey, bartender! Can you take a picture of us?"

Sakura hopped off her chair and grabbed Naruto by his sleeve, "You sit in my seat. I'll stand behind you two."

Naruto stiffly sat in Sakura's chair, his shoulder accidently brushing Sasuke's. The raven stiffened, jaw locking as the bartender took the camera from Sakura's outstretched hand.

"Okay," he said, "Lean in a bit so I could get you all in the frame." Sasuke and Naruto both leaned closer at the same time. A tingling sensation raced through their bodies as their shoulders touched.

"Smile you guys." Sakura said, "I want this picture to come out perfect!"

Naruto plastered on his signature grin while Sasuke attempted a small smile. They watched as the bartender adjusted the camera. After a couple of seconds a blinding flash assaulted their eyes, leaving them blinking madly.

"Thanks!" Sakura said as she took the camera from the man, "I'm going to get some more pictures with the others. Enjoy your drinks, boys!" And just like that Sakura departed, leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone at the bar, glasses full of scotch.

"She a friend of yours?" The bartender said as he buffed up the counter on his end.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, known her since we were little."

"You friends too?"

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other, not quite sure what the answer to that question was.

"What's your names?" The bartender pressed.

"Naruto."

"Sasuke."

Nice," he grinned, "My name is Ichigo Kogure, but you can just call me Ichi or Ichigo, whatever you prefer."

Naruto smiled and looked down into his glass. Three ice cubes floated amongst the amber liquid, shrinking slowly. Swirling his glass, he looked at Sasuke before taking a tentative sip.

"Where are you guys from?" Ichigo asked after signaling the other bartender that he was taking a break.

Naruto responded, "Konoha."

"Really?" he smiled, "My ex went to college there."

"Which college?" Sasuke asked curiously as he sipped his drink.

"Um," the man furrowed his brow in concentration, "I think it was Konoha University."

"Ha!" Naruto grinned, "We work there!" He pointed to Sasuke, "This guy here teaches math, dry stuff. I teach English Literature."

Sasuke said thinly, "It's not dry. It's important."

"Still hate it," Naruto retorted wryly, "And probably always will."

"Hn."

Ichigo laughed at the lighthearted banter, keeping in mind his objective, "Are you guys together? Because you sure have some great chemistry." That comment earned him two shocked faces followed quickly by hints of confusion and weariness. "I-I mean," he cleared his throat, "You just seem to fit…I didn't mean to assume –"

"We're not together," Sasuke answered harshly. His brow furrowing as his hand tightened on the glass of scotch.

Naruto sighed wondering if the bartender was secretly sneaking drinks on the job, "It's alright. Are you…?"

"Gay?" Ichigo finished the blonde's sentence.

He nodded.

"No," the brown eyed man said, "I'm b-bi." He lied.

Naruto gave the man a small smile, "Me too."

"Is he?" Ichigo pointed to Sasuke who all of a sudden found his drink very interesting.

"No," Naruto grinned, "He's completely bent."

Sasuke shot Naruto a dirty look before draining his glass and slamming it down on the table, "Dobe."

The blonde stilled as the grin on his face suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a look of uncertainty.

"Well order anything you want, boys." Ichigo said with a wink, "Drinks are on the house."

"I'll have a Bloody Mary then," Sasuke ordered as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Ichigo nodded and grabbed an old fashioned glass from the rack and began mixing Sasuke's drink. The Uchiha watched the young man work, intent on keeping his eyes from traveling over to stare at the blonde man beside him. He grunted when Ichigo was done and took his drink, taking a big gulp straight away.

"I'll have a Vodka and Orange," Naruto said holding up a finger, his empty scotch glass sitting beside him.

The bartender smiled and nodded, "One Screwdriver coming right up."

A few feet away the three girls along with Kiba and Lee were standing around a table munching on peanuts while they watched Naruto and Sasuke order drinks.

"Look," Ino smirked, "Naruto just moved closer to Sasuke."

Kiba winced and took another sip of his beer, "We really shouldn't be doing this."

"No one's keeping you from leaving, Kiba." Sakura scrunched her nose, "In fact, why don't you go?"

"Hell no," Kiba plopped his bottle onto the table and burped, "I wanna see what happens."

Just then Sai walked over, an empty glass in his hands. "What are you guys doing?" He asked curiously as he glanced in the direction the five friends were looking. His eyes landed on Sasuke and Naruto sitting by themselves at the bar. Intrigued, the pale man took a step towards the two only to be stopped by a strong grip on his shoulder.

Turning his head, Sai met Kiba's stare, "You so much as _think_ of cock blocking," he said wryly, "And I'll pop your head like a cap off a beer." Grabbing an unopened beer bottle, Kiba popped the cap off with his canines for effect.

Sai blinked twice, "I see." He said, "I'll just stand here and watch then."

"Peanut?" Lee offered.

Sai shook his head.

"Look!" Sakura gripped the table firmly, "Sasuke moved closer!" Five pairs of eyes snapped forwards.

Everyone has a limit on how much alcohol they could handle and Sasuke was no exception. There were all types of different drunks out there, from the happy ones to the violent ones. Sasuke happened to be quite a talkative drunk. As the alcohol content in his body increased, his tongue loosened. He finished off his third Bloody Mary and turned to face Naruto.

He wasn't drunk, more like…pleasantly buzzed.

Staring at the blue eyed blonde, the Uchiha started to think. His eyes focused on Naruto's actions, watching as he finished off his shot and asked for another.

"Hey," he found himself saying, "Do you hate me?"

Naruto looked up from his drink, a little startled by the question. "N-no…do you hate me?"

Sasuke grunted and stared into his empty glass, "Sometimes…when you won't get out of my head."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked as he swirled the remainder of his drink around in his glass. He licked his lips before bringing the alcoholic beverage to them and downing the rest in one swig. The glass clanked as he put it down on the counter. The liquid going down his throat like lava over a rocky slope. He wasn't very drunk, but still felt the sudden urge to smile for no apparent reason. Giving his head a good shake, he turned to face Sasuke, all ears.

"I mean what I said," Sasuke said evenly, his fingers rubbing against the cold surface of his glass, "You're in my head…like now."

Naruto blinked, "What am I doing…in your head?"

"Hn," Sasuke smirked, now tracing the rim with his index finger, "What you do best," he looked up at Naruto, "Annoy the fucking crap out of me."

The blonde chuckled, "Annoying the fuck out of you is my specialty," he wiggled his eyebrows in emphasis.

"You guys want anything else?" Ichigo said, eyeing the two men, "I can get you each a soda if you don't want anything alcoholic."

"Give me a club soda then," Naruto said. He didn't want to wake up the next morning with a pounding headache, especially if he was going to be stuck in a car for six and a half hours.

Sasuke lifted his finger, "Make that two."

Ichigo nodded and grabbed two glasses from the rack, filling them each with the clear bubbly liquid. He slid them across the short distance before making his final comment, "You two really do look good together. If I were you, I'd give it a shot."

"Hn."

Sasuke watched the bartender walk away to serve three women on the other side. A suspicious glint in his eye as he witnessed the bartender glancing nervously to the side. "He seems a little too interested in our relationship…don't you think, dobe?"

Naruto's mouth involuntarily dropped open as he blinked. He shut it closed with a snap and shifted uncomfortably in his seat…that tightening pull on his heart was back. Tugging and stirring up feelings he couldn't quite name. He gazed thoughtfully at the bartender hosting on the other end of the bar, his hold on his club soda tightening as he swallowed the knot in his throat, "Sasuke?" he said hesitantly.

"What, dobe?"

He shivered, eyelashes fluttering rapidly. Heat begun to pool in his stomach as Sasuke turned to look at him, creating a small breeze that brushed gently against his cheek.

"Well what?"

"Do…do you call anyone else dobe?"

Lights bounced all around them, blinking red, blue and yellow. People danced hard to the beat of the music, beads of sweat forming on their brows. Others sat at tables stationed around the room, laughing and joking with their friends and family. The world was still moving, still turning the way it always had. But for Sasuke and Naruto, it had suddenly stopped. At that moment, nothing else seemed to exist. Only the two of them, sitting on their stools holding their glasses. Eyes locked in what could only be described as fear and uncertainty.

"No."

"Why?"

"…"

"Sasuke?"

"I've called you that since we were little."

"But why me?"

"Because that's who you are."

"Who I am?"

Sasuke blinked unsurely, "…You're…my dobe."

Naruto swallowed and licked his lips as Sasuke stared at him with his midnight eyes. Those usually masked features now clearly showed signs of confusion, curiosity and something else…though he wasn't sure what.

"What are we?" He asked, "I mean, we're not enemies…haven't been for some time now."

Sasuke nodded.

"And I wouldn't call us friends either," Naruto whispered, cerulean blue still locked with shadow black. "What are we?"

"I…I don't know." Sasuke furrowed his brow, finally breaking the eye contact as he straightened up on his stool.

Naruto watched him take a drink of his soda, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed. For some reason, his thoughts trailed back to the rally the university had hosted in the fall. One memory in particular pushed past all the others, opening itself up like a book. The blonde shivered as he remembered how he'd felt when Sasuke had kissed him. That tingling sensation was back. He could almost feel the pressure from Sasuke's lips…even though the kiss had been months ago…it felt like it had just happened.

Why was he thinking about this now? He shot a quick glance at the raven haired man and tilted his head to the side. With the alcohol in his system, Sasuke looked like a clueless teenager. The tenseness from his face disappeared, cracking the mask that concealed all his hidden feelings and emotions. The blonde bit his lip, watching Sasuke play with his empty glass.

He blinked, clearing his head as he gave a silent chuckle. Gripping his glass, he took a sip of his soda.

"What?" Sasuke frowned looking up.

Naruto shrugged, "Just remembered something," he took another sip. "I can't help but feel like that rally was rigged."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "You remembering anything in particular."

Instantly the blonde's cheeks took on a rosy hue, "S-Shut up, bastard." He looked at the bartender, "Ichigo! Give me another shot of scotch, please!"

Sasuke found himself smiling as the blonde wriggled in his seat, those blue eyes glancing at him unsurely.

"What are you smiling about?" The blonde said sullenly, "Amused at my expense?"

"Of course."

Naruto caught the sliding glass Ichigo had sent and took the shot in one swallow. "You're not a very good friend."

"I'm not your friend," Sasuke reminded as he signaled Ichigo, "A vodka shot, please." As he turned in his seat, his eye caught sight of the six people standing around a small table staring openly at them. Discreetly he looked around the room and was slightly surprised to find that all their friends were watching them, some less deliberately than others but nonetheless…watching.

Neji, Shino and Gaara were leaning against a far back wall, arms crossed as they cautiously observed the pair.

Temari and Tenten were glancing at them every few seconds from the dance floor.

Shikamaru and Choji were sitting at a small table stirring their drinks, looking up at the two every so often.

While Sakura's group was just openly staring.

The gears in his brain began to whirl as he glanced at the bartender who was bringing over his shot. "What's going on?"

Naruto looked up at his companion and noticed him glaring intently at the sandy haired bartender. Curiosity peaked, he leaned in closer.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo forcibly smiled.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "Who put you up to this?" His sober personality breaking through the wall the alcohol content in his body created.

"What are you talking about, Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

The Uchiha turned his head to look at the blonde who had a sincere look of confusion on his face. Expression hardening he said in a low tone, "Look at our friends discreetly, they're all watching us."

Naruto's eyes widened but he did as Sasuke said and indeed found everyone watching them, "What the fuck?" He whispered angrily.

Sasuke turned back to the bartender and said thinly, "Tell me. Now."

Ichigo squeezed the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Look, I was just told to serve you drinks and comment on how good you two looked together. The girl with pink hair told me if I said all this stuff, she'd tip me with a fifty and if you two left together I'd get another fifty." Looking up at the two professors he shrugged, "I'm a law student trying to pay my way through college. I need all the money I can get."

"Hn."

"But you guys seem cool," Ichigo gave them a small smile, "And I actually _do _think you'd suite well together. There's just…I don't know…something." He said, still trying to save the operation.

"Did you know we used to hate each other?" Naruto informed the young man.

Ichigo shook his head, "No…the girl didn't really say much about your relationship…but you know what they say, there's a fine line between love and hate."

Sasuke looked at the man aghast, "You seriously just said that?"

Ichigo shrugged, "Did it help?"

Naruto burst out laughing, his eyes tearing. Sasuke and Ichigo just looked at the blonde sadly wondering if he'd finally lost it.

"Oh god," Naruto gave a final chuckle as he reined in his outburst, "Do you know what I just remembered?"

"No," Sasuke said dryly, "Enlighten me."

Naruto smirked, "About a week before the rally Kiba and Lee took me to see a psychic," Sasuke raised one eyebrow but didn't say anything. "She gave me such a dramatic reading, saying all kind of things she couldn't have known without someone telling her. Things about me and you." The blonde looked up at Sasuke with a grin, "Her words were something along the lines of what this guy has been saying. We belong together and all that jazz. I had been so shocked that I didn't really care much at the time, but now that I think about it….Kiba had taken quite a long time paying that fortuneteller. Lee and I stood outside waiting for him a good fifteen minutes." Naruto chuckled once more, "Oh! And she'd said we'd kiss in ten days."

"Which we did?"

Naruto nodded, "At the rally."

Sasuke suddenly remembered something, "What did you and Neji talk about outside in the beginning of the fall semester…when you kissed."

Blue eyes looked up startled, "You saw that?"

The Uchiha nodded, "Shikamaru had wanted to talk to me about something…I never found out what. He disappeared after I saw you two."

"Well," Naruto rubbed his neck nervously, "Neji wanted my help…he wanted to practice confessing his love to some girl. I told him I'd help him…but the kiss was unexpected."

"Neji had told me he had feelings for you." Sasuke downed his shot, "I remember being awfully pissed."

Naruto's ears perked up at that statement, "Why?"

The dark haired man stiffened. Wondering why that last comment had suddenly popped out of his mouth.

"Jealousy?" Ichigo offered. He was instantly silenced by the sour looks thrown at him from the blonde and raven. Clearing his throat, he grabbed a glass off the rack, "I'll just go now…" He left two shots of vodka on the counter, which Sasuke grabbed and instantly downed once Ichigo had turned his back. Shaking his head he blinked a few times, waiting for the burning sensation to cease.

Once the bartender left Naruto turned his attention back to the frowning Uchiha, "Were you…jealous?"

Sasuke scowled, "Why would I be jealous?" He snapped.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "Hey, don't bitch at me. I'm a victim here too."

The Uchiha fought back the urge to roll his eyes, "You didn't seem like much of a victim at the rally," Sasuke flicked his eyes downwards in case Naruto needed a reminder.

The blonde turned crimson, cheeks flaming to high heaven. "As I r-recall," he stammered, "You had a similar problem."

Sasuke watched Naruto's bottom lip tremble as he finished his sentence, bold, pink and plump. He licked his own as the memory of kissing the man before him resurfaced followed by the sudden blood flow straight to his groin. "You liked it when I kissed you," his voice suddenly went low, "You moaned into my mouth."

The alcohol in his system making him bolder, less cautious and clearly less attentive to the words spilling from his mouth. He blinked as he felt the heat pooling inside him, body growing more stimulated as the blonde fidgeted in his seat. He wondered to himself what it would feel like to suddenly kiss those rosy lips. His cock twitched at the thought.

Naruto swallowed hard as his heart began to race madly in his chest. He was positive anyone within a two foot radius could hear it. The room had also suddenly become a lot warmer. Tugging on his collar, Naruto attempted to cool himself down a bit while trying to stop the sudden twisting feeling in his gut. "You…you…"

"I very much enjoyed kissing you," Sasuke said huskily as the lower portions of his body overruled his brain. He gripped the tanned hand that was fussing annoyingly with the collar and pulled it down, his eyes piercing into those of caribbean blue. Naruto internally shivered as every nerve in his body lit up like the night sky on New Year's Eve. It had to be the alcohol…he…Sasuke didn't…he didn't talk like that.

"You're drunk," Naruto said quietly, trying to keep his voice even, "I think that's enough for you tonight. Dumb bastard, can't even handle your damn liquor."

"Dobe."

Naruto stilled.

"I might be a bit drunk," Sasuke pulled Naruto to himself as the blonde attempted to get up. "But I still know what I want." He reached up and cupped Naruto's chin. "You're in my head, constantly in my head," he said angrily. "Teasing and mocking me…I want to go back to hating you. To not caring! It was easier that way…I…I didn't feel this way."

"F-feel what?"

"Hell if I know," Sasuke pressed Naruto's lean body against the bar. "You messed me up and I demand you fix it."

It was the alcohol, it had to be. There couldn't be any other reason for him wanting the Uchiha to stop talking and kiss him.

No reason.

This guy…he…he had messed _him_ up, not the other way around! Fuck, this was all Shikamaru's fault! He had been fine before that lazy ass said anything. It was one thing to…to…damn it! No. He had to clear his head. Yes…clear it. "I didn't mess you up," Naruto looked straight into the ebony eyes belonging to Sasuke Uchiha, "You messed _me_ up."

Yes. It was Sasuke's fault! If he hadn't been staring at him, he wouldn't be having this problem right now. Naruto squirmed under the Uchiha's gaze. Trying desperately to will the start of an erection away. It would have been so much easier to do if Sasuke wasn't so damn hot!

"Hn," Sasuke smirked, "Dobe."

Naruto shivered as Sasuke's breath caressed his cheek, his brain instantly thinking up erotic images against his better judgment.

Those eyes…god those eyes could probably see right through him.

Right at this moment, he couldn't think of any reason why he shouldn't just grab the smarmy bastard and crash his lips down on his. Propriety had long since left the recesses of his brain and pure desire had taken over.

"How about we make a deal," Sasuke said as he let go of Naruto's hand and pressed his body against the blonde's, "I fix you and you fix me."

Naruto licked his lips and smirked, "Deal," and pressed his lips to the Uchiha's.

Forgetting there was an audience, Sasuke hungrily attacked the blonde's mouth, his free arm wrapping itself around the fitted waist. Two tanned hands came to fist themselves in the front of the raven's navy blue sweater, tightening securely around the soft fabric.

Sasuke ran his tongue over the blonde's bottom lip, tasting the scotch left for him to devour. Sucking the plump flesh into his mouth, he parted the blonde's lips and pushed himself into his mouth.

Naruto growled as Sasuke's tongue rubbed against his, the intruder seeking to overpower him in his own domain. The blonde was going to have none of that.

Pushing against Sasuke's tongue, Naruto started the battle. Their tongues clashed, rubbing, pushing and grinding against each other, each trying to claim the territory for their own. Sasuke grunted as Naruto's leg pressed against his impeding arousal sending a thousand fiery needle-like arrows sailing through his body. Fire swept upwards smoldering everything in its path as the Uchiha deepened the kiss and pressed closer against the blonde's waist. Naruto moaned lightly as the Uchiha shifted in his hold, the warm thigh coming to slide in between his legs and rubbing against his half erect arousal.

Sasuke smirked into the kiss as he slowly began to dominate the willful blonde. Naruto's tongue was becoming more passive, less insistent on winning their silent battle. Slowly the Uchiha pulled the blonde's tongue into his mouth, letting Naruto know he was willing to share. Instantly the blonde's tongue began mapping out the corners of the raven's mouth, running over his teeth, cheeks and tongue possessively. Sasuke let out a muffled groan as the blonde rubbed his leg against his groin, sending jolts of electricity down to the tips of his toes. Rubbing his tongue one final time against Naruto's, Sasuke suddenly drew away from the blonde, startling him.

Naruto looked at him questioningly, blue eyes clouded over with desire. He panted slightly as his eyes roved hungrily over the Uchiha's body, darkening lustfully when they landed on the evident display of excitement. "Why'd you stop?" He asked huskily.

Sasuke licked his lips ravenously, eyes glowing like a cat's as he stuck his hand into Naruto's back pocket, pressing the blonde flush against himself. Chests touching the Uchiha leaned in and whispered intoxicatingly into his ear, "If I wouldn't have…I'd be pounding you into this bar within a matter of minutes."

Naruto felt his cock twitch as Sasuke licked his earlobe tantalizingly. A red hue appeared on his cheeks as his imagination ran wild, creating vivid and arousing images of what they could be doing. His breath hitched as Sasuke's hand crept to the front, two fingers outlining the edge of his denim jeans.

"Let's go up to my room," Naruto whispered against Sasuke's neck, breathing in the fresh scent of eucalyptus. The raven smirked and grabbed the eager blonde's hand, leading him out of the bar and towards the elevators.

:::

Shikamaru lazily took a sip of his brandy and gave Choji a willful look, "Well, the dam has finally been broken. I suggest you prepare yourself."

"_I_ should prepare myself?" Choji lifted one eyebrow as he brushed some crumbs off his face, "You live with him. I moved out, remember?"

Shikamaru frowned, folding his hands, "What a drag," he muttered, "Guess I'll be moving in with Temari now."

"High time you did," Choji agreed with his friend. Shikamaru gave the chubby man a dry look, "What?" Choji said defensively.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled.

:::

"Looks like you owe me twenty bucks, Neji." Gaara said with a dangerous smile. The Hyuga frowned and reached into his pocket to grab his wallet. Pulling out a crisp twenty-dollar bill, Neji handed it to the redhead.

"Shino," Gaara looked at the quiet man, "You too."

Grumbling to himself, Shino reached for his wallet and grabbed a crumpled Benjamin. With a growl he handed it to Gaara, "This is stupid."

"Shouldn't have betted then," Gaara shrugged as he tucked his earnings into his pocket.

Shino frowned, his eyebrows furrowing, "Touché."

On the other side of the room, the girls were staring with their mouths wide open. Sakura still held the shelled peanut in her hand, almost unable to believe her own eyes. "Everyone saw that, right?" She said.

Five heads nodded dumbly.

Hinata's whole face was as red as a ripe tomato while Kiba looked as white as a ghost.

"H-hey," He stammered after a minute, "You d-don't think they went into Naruto's room, d-do you?"

Five pairs of eyes turned to look at the brunette pityingly.

Kiba slumped his shoulders, "Figures," he lowered his head to the table and bumped it against the smooth surface, "Just my luck."

"I should probably pay that guy now," Sakura shakily moved away from the table and towards the bar. Ino and Hinata followed behind her quietly.

Ichigo was leaning against the wall behind the bar, a beer bottle in his hand. Sakura slowly nodded at him and reached into her purse, "Just like I promised," she said as she pulled out the money. "Give me the total for the drinks they ordered also. And thank you very much for helping us out. "

Ichigo shrugged his shoulders and gave Sakura the tab. He took the two fifties and pocketed them and handed the drink money to his fellow bartender before turning back to the rosette, "Your welcome." He then leaned on the counter and looked from one face to the other, "But they caught me."

"What?"

"They caught you watching them and so I told them that you put me up to it." Ichigo watched as Sakura's face paled, "Then they started talking about some rally and a psychic and a guy named Newji?"

"Neji," Sakura corrected through gritted teeth.

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded.

Ino and Hinata grabbed Sakura and rushed her back to the table before the rage hidden right below the surface could boil over and lash out at the innocent bystanders.

Choji saw his girlfriend pulling the rosette away from the table and signaled Shikamaru. The lazy man analyzed the display, "That doesn't look good."

"We should go check it out," Choji said as he stood from his seat.

The two men walked over to the girls table at the same time Gaara's group came by. Everyone looked at the three girls with questioning looks.

"We've got a problem," Ino said worriedly.

"What do you mean?" Choji asked.

"They know."

"What are you talking about?"

Ino bit her lip, her eyes meeting those of their unelected leader, "Sasuke and Naruto…they know."

Shikamaru's shoulders drooped as his mouth formed into a thin line.

Kiba was the only one who voiced the one word echoing inside everyone's head, "Shit."

* * *

**What the hell just happened?**

**Wow, alcohol can work miracles in the right kind of situation…hehe. Now a word from today's guest: INO!**

"**Shit they know!" Ino grabbed a plastic cup and crushed it with her hand as she paced back and forth across the room. **

"**It will be okay, Ino." The author tries to assure the panicking woman, "They can't have figured out all of it…and besides," author winks at the crowd, "I think they're a little preoccupied at the moment."**

"**But how long can that last?" She wailed.**

**Author sighs, "Choji!" She yells, "Come get you girlfriend, she's freaking out in my studio!"**

**Choji shuffles in, "Hey."**

"**Hey yourself," author gripes, "Can you tell them? Your girlfriend is a little incapacitated at the moment."**

**Choji nods, "Sure, no problem." He turns to the readers, "Please leave a review and happy reading!"**

**Favs and Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	13. A Moment Years in the Making

**Wow, it's been about a month since my last update ^^;**

**Thanks for all your kind words and sincere reviews, they are one of the major reasons as to why I write. I love getting feedback from my readers, it's always nice to know what you guys think. I have also started a new story, but it's not going to be a very long one. Maybe ten chapters in all…it's called Popular. If you guys haven't checked it out yet, go look at it! (hehe) It's completely different from my usual way of writing. **

**On another note, here is the long awaited LEMON. Hope it's to your liking!**

**Warning: THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EDITED SO THEON LEMON HAS BEEN REMOVED. IF YOU WANT TO READ IT YOU CAN FIND IT ON MY DEVIANTART PAGE. MY USERNAME ON THERE IS SMARTCAT101 **

* * *

Chapter 13: A Moment Years in the Making

Naruto watched the elevator close in front of him before focusing his gaze on the changing numbers atop the sliding doors. He swallowed hard, all senses attuned to Sasuke who was currently pressed up against him from behind.

Hot breath tickled the back of his neck as the Uchiha leaned in to lick the skin beneath his ear. The blonde shivered, wanting nothing more than for the raven haired man behind him to reach out and stroke his growing erection. A hot tongue caressed the shell of his ear causing Naruto to shut his eyes tight. He instantly began picturing that fiery pink tongue moving up and down his ready shaft. Pressing himself against Sasuke's front, the blonde licentiously moved his hips from side to side in an effort to stimulate the Uchiha further.

Immediately, two arms wrapped tightly around his waist as Sasuke rocked into him, growling. That animalistic show of arousal only worked to increase Naruto's longing to free himself from the suffocating hold his jeans had on him. Unable to resist the devilish urges, the blonde stroked himself through the denim fabric.

Sasuke smirked, the gesture fully noted, "You hard?"

The blonde grunted, lids opening to reveal two brilliant blue eyes hazed over with desire, "What do you think?" He answered back, voice laden with lust.

Inhaling the scent of Naruto's hair, Sasuke moved the blonde's hand and replaced it with his own. Slender fingers pressed against the denim jeans, outlining the slight bulge they felt. With one quick movement, the Uchiha pulled down the younger man's zipper just as the elevator doors opened to reveal their floor.

Moving his hand away, Sasuke grabbed the blonde by the belt loops and led him out of the elevator and down the hallway. The two recklessly bounded down the carpeted corridor, manners long since forgotten along with sanity and restraint. Upon reaching their final destination, Naruto reached into his pocket to pull out his hotel key card. Giving it a dramatic swipe, he turned the doorknob and rushed into the room with Sasuke right behind.

Not even bothering with the lights, the Uchiha growled and pushed Naruto towards the king sized bed the blonde had been sharing with Kiba and Gaara. Losing his footing, thanks to Kiba's poorly placed suitcase, Naruto fell back first onto the mattress. He blinked twice before focusing his attention on the dark haired man who was currently ridding himself of the collared shirt he had been wearing. Realizing that he too was wearing an unnecessary amount of clothing, Naruto swiftly removed his shirt and threw it to the carpeted floor.

A split second later he felt a warm hand press against his shoulder and shove him down onto the mattress. Mouth open slightly, Naruto stared up at the half naked man. Sasuke hovered over him, an unearthly glimmer in his eye as he slowly climbed atop the eager blonde. Lips crashed together as the Uchiha lowered his head.

Arms sprang up, eagerly rapping around the smooth skin of Sasuke's back. Pulling the raven closer to his body, Naruto pressed his bare chest to his partner's. His whole body trembled as he felt an erect nipple brush across his skin. A light moan escaped his mouth only to be swallowed up by the raven in another savage kiss.

Hungrily, Sasuke sucked Naruto's bottom lip into his mouth before letting his tongue dart out to invade uncharted territory. Bringing one hand up, the Uchiha tilted the younger man's chin, his other hand steadily working the button fastening Naruto's jeans.

Tongues collided without hesitation inside the blonde's mouth, running over each other with an animated sexual hunger. Growling, Naruto shifted his hand from Sasuke's back and moved it to the luscious dark hair, tangling his long fingers in the silky strands as he deepened the kiss. Zealously he sucked on Sasuke's tongue, pulling it deeper inside him, trying to draw in as much of the raven as possible.

All the pent up desire they had buried over the past years had finally sprung forth, coming out in waves one after another as the two men lost themselves in each other's arms. Naruto gasped as Sasuke's hand slid into his boxers, each finger pressing intoxicatingly into the throbbing flesh still held prisoner inside their cotton cage. Languidly the Uchiha kissed his way down the blonde's neck, stopping only to run his tongue over the exposed flesh of the collar bone.

Naruto's eyes shut tight in rapture when he felt Sasuke's hot mouth descend onto his chest. He gasped loudly, toes curling as the raven's tongue swirled around a hardened nipple. Incoherent words tumbled from his mouth as the older man sucked the hardened flesh into his mouth, teeth grazing it lightly enough to make the blonde's head reel.

"Fuck," Naruto groaned as the Uchiha moved his silky black head and took the other nipple into his mouth. Opening his eyes, the blonde sat up and flipped the two of them over, taking the more dominant role. Sasuke looked up in surprise, having not anticipated being overthrown. Frowning, he made a move to return to their earlier position but Naruto would have none of it. Crashing his lips down on the raven's, Naruto quickly went to work, removing the Uchiha's pants. His victory over the other however, was short lived. Growling into the kiss, Sasuke grabbed the younger man's arms and in one swift move placed himself back atop the blonde.

Naruto gaped at the smirking man above him, unable to comprehend exactly how the arrangement had changed so quickly.

A chuckle escaped the raven's mouth before he leaned down and licked the shell of Naruto's ear possessively, "I top, dobe."

Naruto gave him a wry look, "Says who?"

"Hn."

Before Naruto could summon words to retort with, Sasuke brought his lips down onto his, silencing his lover quite effectively. The blonde growled in protest but nonetheless, his body relaxed into Sasuke's touch and he unintentionally became more submissive. Closing his eyes again, Naruto let his other senses take over, relishing in the touch, taste and feel of Sasuke's body.

Sasuke smirked into the kiss as his strong fingers came up to fondle one perky nipple. His partner's sharp inhale of breath only made the blood in his groin pulse harder. Hungrily, he trailed kisses over the younger man's jaw before sucking the tender flesh into his mouth. The blue eyed man moaned loudly, one tan hand coming to press the raven's head closer to his neck, taking pleasure in the feel of those searing lips pressed hard against his craving body.

"..ah…S-Sasuke," Naruto panted, cheeks flushed, "P-Please…"

The Uchiha lifted his head, eyes glazed over with lust as he stared wantonly into the younger man's face, "Please what?" He said in a husky tone.

The blonde swallowed visibly, thick lashes opening to reveal two equally lusting eyes, "You know what."

"Do you want me to fuck you?" Sasuke said playfully, his voice still laden with desire as he bent down to whisper in his lover's ear, "Want me to rip these off and burry myself inside you? Do you want that? Want me to pound you into the mattress? To mark you as mine?" Pale hands ran over clothed thighs as he watched the blonde breathe in deeply.

Gulping, Naruto shakily nodded his head. Those words oddly making his whole body tingle in an eerily pleasant way.

"Say it," Sasuke said more seriously, "I want to hear you say it."

Naruto looked up into eyes as dark as the night's sky before licking his lips nervously, "I want you to fuck me."

Sasuke stilled. Eyes closing, he took in a shaky breath.

Noticing the effect his words suddenly had on the Uchiha, Naruto continued to speak. Watching as the Uchiha's breathing quickened, "I want you to rip off my jeans and fuck me till I scream…cum inside me…I want to feel it…"

"Feel what?" Sasuke asked hoarsely, his lips kissing the corner of Naruto's mouth as he waited to hear those hypnotizing words.

"Feel your large…rock hard cock," Naruto said huskily, eyes half lidded as he imagined Sasuke plunging into him repeatedly. Their sweat mingling together as they rocked the bed back and forth, sheets soaking up their exertion as both bodies rubbed against them fervently.

"I want to feel it going in and out," he continued, "As you plunge into me…I want…to feel that indescribable high…when your head taps my walls…pushing against the epitome of my desire…I want to feel you jerk inside me…want to feel your sweet release marking me as yours." Naruto weaved the fine words together like a tapestry, his love of language mixing with the ancient and powerful dialect of lovemaking, "I know you want to be inside of me..." Smiling, he kissed Sasuke's cheek with a tenderness he had never shown the man before. Nose rubbing gently against soft skin, he felt the Uchiha draw in a breath as he moved to put his arms around the ivory toned neck, chuckling against his lover's cheek he whispered, "Fuck me."

Sasuke shut his eyes tight as a pleasant shock worked its way through his body. Pulling the younger man's lean body closer to his, Sasuke wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist, hugging him tightly, "I'm not going to just fuck you," he said slowly, breathing uneven.

Naruto jerked his head back and looked at the Uchiha uncertainly. A slender hand came up to cup the lightly bronzed cheek, caressing it tenderly. "I might be a bit drunk," coal eyes focused in on azure blue, "But I still know what I want." Sasuke traced the curve of Naruto's bottom lip with his thumb, offering a small smile, "I'm going to make love to you too." Slowly the Uchiha leaned in and pressed his lips to the blonde's.

Unlike their kisses before, full of unbridled lust and anger, this one was far more gentle and slow. Movements were less erratic, less animalistic.

They were tender.

Touches were nearly feather soft as Sasuke caringly traced the curve of Naruto's bicep.

Outside the sky opened up, tumbling snowflakes the size of eggs onto the cold terrain visible from their window and covering the mountainside with a fine powdery white blanket. Trees outside bent, their branches snapping together wildly as the Northern wind blew sleet and snow mercilessly at them.

In the warm confines of their hotel room, Sasuke lowered Naruto's naked form onto the assortment of pillows as he himself removed his pants. Propped up on his elbows, Naruto watched with growing excitement as silk boxers fell to the floor revealing a perfectly sculpted torso.

Pupils dilated as they centered in on the massive marker of Sasuke's desire. The blonde watched, entranced as the Uchiha strode towards him, hands at the sides. One knee came to rest at the edge of the mattress as the dark haired man pushed himself forwards. Naruto sat up, aligning himself with the older man's torso before reaching up to stroke the erection.

Lips parted as Sasuke slowly exhaled, feeling Naruto's warm mouth descended onto his throbbing head. A drawn out moan escaped from his lips as he felt the blonde's tongue swirl around him, teasing him shamelessly as it tapped at his tip.

Biting his lip, Sasuke tangled his fingers into the locks of golden blonde hair as Naruto reached to stroke the base of his cock. Those long piano-playing fingers rode up and down his length, pumping him. Naruto's other hand tugged at his sac, creating an array of different pleasure shocks with each sweet movement. Grunting, Sasuke thrust into the hot cavern, wanting nothing more than to feel that heat covering his entire erection. Beside him Naruto growled, immediately causing a loud groan to escape from the Uchiha's throat.

"You like it, don't you?" Sasuke panted, his fingers tightening in the strands of blonde hair, "You like having a cock inside you…I know you do."

Naruto grinned before tightening his cheeks and giving a hard suck, efficiently cutting off the dirty mouthed Uchiha. Letting the cock go with a pop, the blonde licked the head once more before bringing his fist up from the base and rubbing his thumb hard along the edges of the engorged head. Sasuke threw his head back with a curse, eyes shutting tight.

"There we go," Naruto smirked, "Cum for me…" leaning in the blonde quickly licked the precum off the stimulated head, squeezing Sasuke ardently for more. The raven opened his eyes and watched hungrily as Naruto sucked him clean. Growling low in his throat, he grabbed the younger man by the shoulders and shoved him down on the bed. Jumping atop him, he covered those ruby red lips with his own.

Bringing the blonde into his mouth, Sasuke swallowed the salty taste of cum before plundering his lover's mouth. Reaching down he ran his open palm over the blonde's thigh, cupping his ass in the process. Naruto grunted into the kiss as his cock hit against Sasuke. Arms rose up, encircling the slender ivory neck in an amorous embrace.

"Oh fuck," Naruto panted once Sasuke moved his lips to his neck, "I want you so bad."

"Hn."

"Bastard," Naruto growled before biting down on the Uchiha's shoulder. Sasuke hissed but continued his ministrations, the dull throb of the bite mixing in with the raw pleasure their bodies were producing. Sitting up, Sasuke heaved a long bronzed limb over his shoulder before running his tongue over the soft skin of Naruto's thigh.

Moaning, the blonde fisted the sheets by his side as Sasuke erotically traced the curve of his thigh with his hot pink tongue, each effervescent sensation reverberating directly into his groin.

"Damn it," he panted, toes curling, "S-Stop teasing m-me, you ass."

Smirking, Sasuke ran his tongue down the whole length of Naruto's thigh, flicking it lightly against the heated skin of his groin. Parting the blonde's legs, the raven stared at the puckered entrance of Naruto's ass. The ring of muscles tightened in anticipation, craving him more than anything else in the whole world. Gingerly he brushed his tongue against the pink flesh, reading Naruto's reaction to his careful analysis of his body in an attempt to find the most sensitive parts of his mind boggling blonde.

Naruto arched his back as Sasuke's tongue covered his whole, pressing hard against him. He groaned louder, feeling the hot muscle push inside him, opening him up. "Sasuke," he moaned, "S-Sasuke."

The Uchiha swirled his tongue around the hole, licking the puckered skin enthusiastically. Each lick earned him a desperate cry as the blonde moaned his name aloud over and over again.

Sitting up, Sasuke smirked at the naked blonde, "Suck it," he said, pressing his finger to the blonde's lips. Eagerly Naruto opened his mouth and took the digit in, running his tongue over the ridges and sucking hard.

Sasuke swallowed stiffily while watching the intoxicating expression on Naruto's face. Enraptured, he blinked as the blonde took his hand in his and took an extra finger in his mouth, sucking both of them hungrily. With his free hand, Sasuke reached for Naruto's weeping cock and stroked it, lightly running his thumb over the throbbing flesh. The blonde moaned loudly, sucking harder on the digits in his mouth.

"Yeah," Sasuke said huskily, "Suck…show me how much you want me," squeezing the jerking head between two fingers he watched as Naruto's body trembled eagerly. "That's right, dobe," he licked his lips, "Suck."

Pulling a third finger into his mouth Naruto gave a long hard suck, imagining it was Sasuke's cock he was sucking. He ran his tongue between the digits, coating them in a thick layer of saliva. Thoughts racing, he could only wait in anticipation for those long slender fingers to slide inside him, opening him up for Sasuke to take.

With a pop, the Uchiha pulled his fingers from the blonde's mouth and put them in his own. Running his tongue over his own fingers, he gazed into those brilliant blue eyes wondering how the hell he'd ever been able to stay away from them. Lowering his head, he pulled the wet fingers from his mouth and licked the puckered skin of Naruto's entrance ardently.

Naruto moaned wantonly, unable to restrain himself from voicing his obvious desire. Gently Sasuke pushed in one finger, watching as the blonde hungrily sucked him inside. With slow even movements, he thrust his finger in and out all the while letting his tongue run alongside the outskirts of the puckered skin.

Naruto groaned as Sasuke pushed in another finger, stretching him wider. Widening his legs, the blonde stared down at the raven, feeling that hot tongue flicking over his sensitive flesh over and over again. He gave a loud yell when Sasuke suddenly hit a ball of nerves, head falling back onto the pillows, he closed his eyes and exhaled.

Smirking smartly to himself, Sasuke continued to push against the blonde's wall of nerves, reveling in the pleasant mewls his lover created. Gripping the man's cock with his free hand, Sasuke rubbed up and down the blonde's shaft a few times before pushing in a third finger. The blonde hissed savagely as Sasuke scissored his fingers, stretching Naruto's entrance wide enough to allow his cock to enter. Pressing the fingers in and out he licked alongside the edge of the eager hole, brain going haywire as images of him thrusting into Naruto sprung to mind. With one last push of his fingers, Sasuke pulled them out and looked up at the panting blonde lying erotically on the white sheets.

Aligning himself at Naruto's entrance, Sasuke blew a lock of hair out of his eye, "You ready, dobe?"

Naruto groaned, "What the fuck does it look like?" Looking Sasuke in the eye, the blonde blushed crimson, "P-please."

"Please what?" Sasuke smiled sardonically, tantalizingly running the tips of his fingers over Naruto's sensitive flesh. The blonde pushed his head back further into the pillows and moaned, back arching slightly.

"Fuck me," he haggardly whispered, face burning.

"Believe me, dobe," Sasuke pressed his cock to Naruto's entrance, "I fully intend to." Then without warning, he plunged into the hot ring, pushing apart the muscles with a satisfied grunt. Naruto hissed, biting down on his lip in an effort to refrain from screaming out. A single tear escaped his eye, running down a flushed cheek only to be licked away by the serpent-like tongue.

"Damn it," he cringed, gritting his teeth, "That hurt! I thought you said you were going to make love to me, you bastard."

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, a small smile playing around the corner of his lips, "Love hurts."

Naruto scowled and tried to push the raven away but Sasuke gathered the blonde's hands and crushed them to his chest. Leaning down he placed a gentle kiss on his lover's cheek. Anger dissipating, Naruto relaxed into Sasuke's embrace, kissing the bastard hard before wiggling his hips as a sign for the prick to start moving.

With the utmost care, Sasuke slowly began to thrust into his blonde. He watched Naruto's face carefully for any signs of discomfort or pain. Gradually, the blonde's countenance became more expressive. Lips parted to give way to hard pants while long eyelashes flickered heavily with desire.

"Ah!"Naruto arched as one of Sasuke's thrusts hit his prostate, sending pleasure filled shocks cascading through his body, "Mghn..ah…aahh…"

With Naruto's enthusiastic vocal display encouraging him, Sasuke began to move his hips faster. Soon enough a fine sheen of sweat covered his body. The sheets lay in a tangle beneath them, soaking up the signs of exertion like a sponge. Naruto gave another elated cry as Sasuke's cock hit him dead on. Nails dug into porcelain skin as Naruto bit his lip and moved his hips in time to Sasuke's thrusts. The sound of heavy panting filled the room, echoing off the walls alongside the steady sound of Sasuke's sac hitting against Naruto's backside.

"Fuck," Sasuke groaned as he looked down, watching how his cock was swallowed up by the blonde's hungry hole. Pulling Naruto up, Sasuke adjusted the two of them so that Naruto could rap his arms comfortably around his neck while riding his cock at the same time. Grunting, the blonde pushed down hard, taking Sasuke in up to the hilt. The Uchiha moaned wantonly and reached to grab the blonde's abandoned cock. As soon as his fingers tightened over the shaft, Naruto gave a cry.

"S-Sasuke!" Naruto pushed closer to Sasuke's sweat slicked body, "I'm c-close."

Fingers coated in precum, Sasuke smiled, panting, "I can…see that."

Throwing his head back, Naruto parted his lips, "…aahh…ah…yeah…..mngh…ahhh…harder S-Sasuke…"

Getting closer to the finish line as well, Sasuke lowered the two of them onto the bed again. Making sure to throw both of Naruto's legs over his shoulder, Sasuke thrust deeper into the blonde causing him to cry out.

"You feel…so…f-fucking…good," Sasuke panted, losing his rhythm as the tightness in his groin increased dramatically with each passing second, "…so…h-hot and…tight."

Naruto moaned loudly, arms wound around the panting Uchiha, "…s-so…close…Sasuke…S-sas…"

"Say it," Sasuke pressed his forehead to the blonde's, "Say m-my name."

"S-Sasuke."

"Again."

"Sasuke," he said breathlessly. Any minute now…he was going to lose it.

"I want to hear you scream it."

"SASUKE!" Naruto cried, cuming with his lover's name on his lips. It didn't take long for Sasuke to follow. With a guttural yell he released inside Naruto, coating his blonde with a thick layer of cum.

For the next couple of minutes they just laid there panting, waiting for their breathing to return to normal. Sasuke was first to recover. Slowly, he pulled himself out of the blonde, collapsing onto the bed beside him. Naruto breathed deeply, feeling Sasuke's cum leak out of him in a slow even trickle, licking his lips he stared up at the ceiling.

Cautiously, he took Sasuke's hand in his, unwilling to part from the raven haired man. To his relief, Sasuke tightened his hand in his, locking their fingers together. They stayed like that for a minute, just breathing. Finally, Naruto unable to be still for long periods of time, curled into Sasuke's side, planting a kiss on the raven's neck. The Uchiha smiled, bringing his empty hand to the blonde head of hair in a comforting patting gesture.

Licking the salty skin, Naruto slowly ran his tongue down Sasuke's chest, "You up for round two?"

The Uchiha smirked in his routine fashion, "I don't know…can you handle it?"

Naruto scowled, "I can handle it," throwing himself atop the older man he smiled, "But I'll be riding you from up here this time."

"Whatever you want," Sasuke chuckled, hands coming up to grip the slender waist belonging to his lover.

Within five minutes their hotel room was yet again filled with the familiar sound of panting and the slapping of two sweaty bodies. Naruto moved up and down on Sasuke's cock, biceps shining with sweat as he panted with exertion. Sasuke had a firm grip on the blonde's leaking erection, hands pumping in time with their thrusts. They continued far into the night, stopping only when the need for sleep overruled their desire for sex.

The night sky slowly began to lighten and within a few short hours, a stream of light filtered into the room through the glass window, waking the blonde. He yawned lethargically, opening his eyes only to find himself curled into Sasuke's front.

He stilled, all of last night's activities rushing to the forefront of his brain in one fatal swoop. Blinking he glanced up, trying to move as little as possible. The light shinning in through the window mixed with the pounding in his head made it hard for him to think. Nonetheless, Naruto unconsciously tightened his hold on the blanket he and Sasuke shared as he muddled through his memory of the night before.

He had sex with Sasuke.

Not once.

Not twice.

Three times if he remembered correctly.

And each time…he liked.

Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and pretended to still be asleep, mind replaying the memories of Sasuke slowly kissing him down the neck, the tender caresses and the amazing feel of having the Uchiha's mouth sucking hard on his dick. Curling closer to the raven, Naruto pressed his cheek to the ivory chest, listening to the steady rhythm of Sasuke's heart.

What if the bastard awoke and became disgusted by what they had done?

Naruto felt his stomach plummet, turning into a bottomless pit that threatened to swallow him whole.

Damn it.

What the hell was wrong with him? This was Sasuke for crying out loud! The prick! The wise ass! He should be the one jumping out of bed disgusted with what he had done –but he wasn't. In fact, he was doing quite the opposite. Snuggling closer to the dark haired man, he relived the experience they shared through memory, wanting to kiss him again and relish in the feel of being ensnared by those long lightly muscled arms. He wanted him. Yes, he definitely wanted Sasuke Uchiha. Problem was…did Sasuke want him back? Naruto squirmed at the thought, shuddering slightly at the thought.

"Stop moving so much, dobe."

Naruto's head snapped up, eyes wide as he stared into the face of Sasuke Uchiha, "You're awake?" His voice cracked.

"Hn," Sasuke pulled him closer, "Stop talking."

"Bu –"

"Yes I am awake," grunting, Sasuke closed his eyes, mussing the pillow with his head, "Been awake for quite a bit now thanks to your moving about."

Naruto swallowed, "Oh."

"Are you always this fidgety when you wake up?" Sasuke said, annoyed.

"No."

"Then stay still," he grumbled.

"Sasuke!" Naruto sat up, "We just had sex!"

"Yes," the Uchiha growled, "I know…I'm naked."

Naruto paused, "Do you remember it?"

Sasuke nodded sleepily, "Yes. Quite well, actually."

"Then," Naruto cleared his throat, "WE HAD SEX!"

"I don't see what you're so worked up about."

"Do I need to repeat myself? We had sex!"

"So? Normal people have sex all the time."

"But we're not normal!" Naruto blanched, "Er…I mean, you're Sasuke!"

"Yes, I am Sasuke."

"We would never have had sex," Naruto reached his point finally, "If we were sober…"

Sasuke opened his eyes fully and stared at the sitting blonde for a full minute, debating on whether he should just get up and leave or whether he should just throw the damn loud mouth out. Fortunately, he took another approach, "Do you want to have sex now?"  
Naruto blinked, "Yeah…" he answered without hesitation.

"Good," Sasuke sat up, "Me too." Lifting the blonde's chin up slightly, Sasuke crashed his lips down on his.

:::

"I feel really gross," Kiba hiccupped as he stared at his breakfast. Shikamaru eyed the brunette with annoyance and reached for his cup of coffee. With last night's change in events, Temari had roomed with the girls, forcing Shikamaru to sleep beside the twitching Kiba and the cold footed Gaara.

It had been a _very_ long night.

"Wonderful."

Kiba squirmed in his chair before finally standing up with a look of determination, "This is crazy! I'm just going to go in and get my stuff, they're probably sleeping."

Shikamaru raised one eyebrow as he took a sip of his coffee, "I wouldn't suggest that."

"They can't still be doing it," Kiba looked at the digital display on his cell phone, "And I don't know how much longer we're going to be stuck here."

"Valid point," Shikamaru set his cup down. Last night's snowstorm took down a large tree, which in turn brought down a few power lines. Thankfully, the hotel resort has a good generator.

"I'm just going to do it."

"Suit yourself."

Kiba sucked in his cheeks and turned from the table, intentions set on riding the elevator to his floor and getting his crap out of Sasuke and Naruto's 'cave.' Walking down the hallway to his room, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the hotel keycard. Taking a steady even breath, he swiped the card through the door and turned the handle.

"Ah…ahh…mngh…yeah…"

"AH!"

"Fuck, Kiba!"

"MY EYES!"

"Shit."

"Damn it, you idiot! Have you ever heard of knocking?"

"MY EYES!"

"Get out, Kiba!"

Kiba stumbled towards the door with his hands covering his eyes. In the traditional Inuzuka way, he collided with the door, earning himself a nasty bump on the head. Charging out as fast as he could, he shut the door hard behind him and collapsed in the hallway, rubbing his eyes furiously.

"Told you it wasn't a good idea," Shikamaru said smugly, holding his cup of coffee in one hand while leaning against the wall.

"Ah fuck you," Kiba whined, "And…you followed me?"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and took a sip from his mug, "Couldn't resist the opportunity to see your face."

"Go to hell," Kiba growled, then whimpered, "Fuck, it's burned into my brain…all I can see is Sasuke goi –"

Shikamaru clamped his hand over his friend's mouth, a scared expression on his face, "I don't want to know."

"You want me to suffer alone?"

"It's your own fault," Shikamaru said before straightening up and walking down the hallway, "When they come out, tell them we're probably going to be here for an extra couple of days. Have them call whomever they were going to have Christmas with…they aren't going to make it."

"Me?" Kiba went pale, "Why me?"

Shikamaru just continued walking away, an evil smirk playing on his face, "Because it's funny," he murmured to himself.

* * *

**Thank you all so much for reading! Hope the lemon was to your liking ^^**

"**It was not to my liking!" Kiba barked, "Do you know how much therapy I'm going to need because of you?"**

"**Aw, you secretly liked it," author purrs, "Admit it."**

"**Hell no," Kiba shook his head vehemently, "That's the last thing I wanted to see. I like women!"**

"**Sure you do."**

"**I do!" Kiba growled, "I like tits and vagina!"**

"**That just proves it."**

"**Proves it?" Kiba blinked, "How the fuck does that prove it?"**

"**Guys can't say the word vagina," author says matter of factly.**

"**But I'm a biology professor!"**

"**Technicalities." **

**Leave a review!**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**


	14. An Unconventional Christmas

**Wow, I finally managed to write a short chapter for once! This is progress, this is progress indeed.**

**Glad to hear everyone enjoyed the lemon scene *_***

**Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!**

* * *

Chapter 14: An Unconventional Christmas

Sasuke pressed a heated kiss to Naruto's jaw, licking expertly at the heated skin with his tongue. The blonde lay beneath him, eyes closed as he panted heavily, recovering from the strenuous activity he'd just taken part in only a few minutes ago.

"Sasuke," he breathed out, naked body pressed firmly against the sweat slicked form of his lover, "S-stop."

"Hn," the raven sucked on the blonde's throat, marking him in the most primitive way known to mankind. It was intoxicating just being near the blonde and feeling his every intake of breath. Sasuke groaned, licking and teasing the sensitive flesh.

Naruto moaned, letting the pleasant shiver run its course through his body before restarting his attempts at dislodging the amorous Uchiha, "Seriously, Sasuke…w-we have to talk."

The dark haired man looked up, eyes as captivating as a treasure chest filled with priceless jewels. Naruto quickly found himself unable to recall what it was he wanted to talk about. A slender finger outlined his bottom lip, jumbling the blonde's thoughts even further without much effort.

"I'm listening," Sasuke smirked, arching his body like a lion ready to pounce on his prey. The locks of charcoal black hair framed his face like a mane, proudly proclaiming the Uchiha in all his naked glory. The younger man swallowed thickly, trying to remember exactly what it was he had wanted to say to the indecently intoxicating man.

"I…I…"

"At a loss for words, Naruto?" Sasuke chuckled with amusement as he leaned down to flick his tongue across an erect nipple. The blonde gasped, toes curling into the mattress as his hands came up to fist themselves in the fine ebony mane of hair.

"P-please…"

Tracing the contours of Naruto's muscles with the tips of his fingers, Sasuke released the hard nipple from his mouth, his tongue circling it once more before he sat up and centered his attention on the ruddy red lips parted slightly, "What is it?"

Blinking like a blinded man, Naruto slowly sat up too, mouth closing. Sasuke waited patiently as the younger man regained control over himself. Leaning against the bunched pillows, he took to waiting, resting comfortably beside the headboard.

"What is this?" Naruto finally managed to say, eyes not daring to meet those of the Uchiha.

"What do you mean?"

Naruto sighed, "This," he gestured to himself and Sasuke, "Us."

Hn."

"Words, Sasuke," the blonde sighed, "Use words."

"…"

"I like you," Naruto blurted out, cheeks at once taking on a pink tint. Casting his eyes down, Naruto stared at the bunched up blanket on the far side of the mattress. "I know I shouldn't…heck, I don't even know how I ended up liking you…it just happened…I-I can't even explain it to myself."

"Hn."

"Words, Sasuke," Naruto growled looking up, annoyed, "I don't speak grunt."

Sasuke turned his head to catch the blonde's gaze.

His eyes met with those of vivid caribbean blue, eyes both filled with uncertainty and desire. Echoing the same emotions, he himself felt playing on the outskirts of his well placed mask of indifference. Those three simple words strung together…and coming from Naruto, oddly made him feel more excited than ever before. It made the blood in his veins pulse harder and his heart rate skyrocket. Matching the feel of an athlete, pushing off the ground the instant the sound of the gunshot blared, to race towards the finish line.

Shifting his body so that it now faced the timid blonde, he smiled, watching as the tension in Naruto's body slackened, "You're highly annoying, know just how to drive me crazy and have this horrendous inability to stay silent."

Naruto paled, swallowing hard.

"But for some reason…some unknown reason…I can't stop thinking about you."

The blonde blinked, wondering if his ears heard correctly, "So you like me?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, an out of character blush coming to creep onto his stoic features. "Yes I like you, dobe."

Naruto grinned, feeling a sort of euphoria at the other man's words. Arms coming to cross in front of his chest, he gave a snort, "Well how can you not? I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

The raven winced, "Yeah…you're hyper, loud and annoying," he growled, "What's not to like?"

"Bastard."

Sasuke smirked and pulled Naruto towards him, effectively trapping the blonde in his steel like embrace, "Dobe."

Naruto smiled widely, wrapping his arms around the elegant ivory neck as he pressed himself into the other man, "You know, we did everything backwards." Sasuke grunted, his mouth already at work, marking up the lightly bronzed skin, "You're supposed to go out first, have dinner, and then have awesome sex."

Sasuke chuckled throatily, moving his head so he could flick his tongue across the shell of Naruto's ear, "You want to go out then?" He whispered huskily.

Naruto answered by playfully biting the raven's shoulder. The light sting oddly made the blood rush wildly towards Sasuke's groin. He grunted, rubbing himself harder against the toned physique of his lover.

"If you want this body, then dinner is a requirement," Naruto spoke, brushing his lips over the glistening skin of Sasuke's neck. A tongue darted out to taste the salty residue left over from their early morning romp.

"Hn."

:::

When Naruto and Sasuke entered the dining hall, Kiba suddenly found his cheese and sausage omelet to be the most interesting specimen in the entire world. Picking up his set of chopsticks, he began poking at the yellow breakfast dish with newfound vigor. Sakura smirked beside the now fully occupied brunette, noticing the slight limp to Naruto's every step. Her smirk widened when the two sat at the table, chairs rather close together.

"So," she wiped her mouth with a napkin, eyes strategically focused on her two closest friends, "How was the sex?"

Naruto choked on the swallow of orange juice he'd just taken, coughing loudly as he struggled to clear his throat in order to take a breath. Sasuke instantly froze, his piercing glare coming to focus on one, Kiba Inuzuka. The brunette just started mutilating his omelet faster.

Grumbling to himself, Neji put his toast back down on his plate, suddenly not feeling as hungry as before. The rest of the gang acted much in the same way. Teacups were put back, as were the chopsticks and silverware. A few napkins came up to hide mouths that suddenly broke out into toothy grins.

"You two were quite a sight yesterday," Sakura continued slyly, one hand winding itself around a lock of fuchsia pink hair, "Getting all over each other like that at a bar."

Ino clamped her hand over her eyes and shook her head, making the ponytail she'd tied up swing back and forth rhythmically. Honestly, Sakura could be such an idiot at times. She just hoped that both Sasuke and Naruto were too distracted to remember what they had learned last night. Maybe the amount of alcohol had wiped that particular memory from their minds? Ino snuck a glance at the two men. Maybe they didn't mind? After all, it did help them get together in the end…right?

"That reminds me," Sasuke turned his attention back to the group, his eyebrows angled downwards in a menacing fashion. "Who was in charge of this…so called 'plan,' hm?"

All fingers pointed accusingly at Shikamaru. The psychology professor slumped in his chair, a sour look on his face.

"It was you?" Naruto growled out after his coughing fit subsided, "You?"

"Yeah."

"The rally?"

"Yes."

"The gibberish in the staff lounge?"

"Guilty."

Naruto frowned, "You locked us in the studio?"

"No," Shikamaru straightened, "That was all Sai's idea."

Two angry pairs of eyes flashed in Sai's direction. The usually smiling art instructor suddenly went as white as a sheet, "It's not my fault!" Sai insisted, "That wouldn't have been necessary if Inuzuka there didn't mess up with the psychic!"

"ME?" Kiba jumped to his feet, "That wasn't my fault!"

"Kiba!" Naruto pointed an accusatory finger at his friend, "You!"

"It was Sakura's fault!" Kiba insisted.

"Sakura!"

"My fault?" The rosette grit her teeth, "How the hell was that my fault?"

Kiba whirled on her, teeth bared like a dog ready to strike, "If you hadn't gone and slept with him, none of this would have happened!"

All at once, the room went incredibly silent. And for the first time, the gang noticed how everyone in the dining hall was staring at them, not even bothering to do it discreetly.

"Fuck," Kiba grimaced, slowly sitting back down in his chair.

Gaara sighed, throwing his napkin into his plate as he straightened in his chair, "What's done is done. We can't go back and change any of that." He turned his emerald green graze on both Sasuke and Naruto, "I hope that you two can forgive us for meddling."

"W-we wanted to help," Hinata looked at them, her eyes begging, "We just t-thought…"

"You were behaving inexcusably," Neji replied, no ounce of remorse in his voice. "Coming to work and finding the two of you at each other's throats, day in and day out proved quite tiresome." He folded his hands together, "I do not regret joining Shikamaru, and stopping your foolish behavior. If it had been up to me, I would have fired you both. You have much to be thankful for, Dean Tsunade had somehow developed a soft spot for the two of you."

Naruto flinched at Neji's cold tone, all anger at his friends slowly fading as he realized the predicament he and Sasuke had been in.

"There were many a complaint about the two of you," Shino added, "At times I found myself defending the two of you when really, I should have been agreeing with the other professors who rose to complain." Shino fixed the glasses on his nose, "Do not blame us for taking initiative. Maybe the way we went about it could have been different…but, you really left us little choice."

They again fell into a silence, one that was neither pleasant nor desired.

Lee lifted his fork and began poking at his scrambled eggs while Ino stared deeply into her cup of coffee. Gradually the sound of clinking silverware returned, coming from the other tables. Apparently, the other vacationers had gone back to their meals as their interest in the boisterous group subsided.

"Anyone want a croissant?" Tenten asked, finally breaking the stretch of silence. Choji nodded eagerly and took the breadbasket from Tenten.

"Has anyone told them about the power lines?" Temari asked once everyone began eating again.

Shikamaru turned to look at Kiba who again, found his omelet to be extremely interesting. Sighing rather loudly, he massaged his forehead with his thumb and forefinger before addressing Sasuke and Naruto. "The snowstorm last night took down a large tree which in turn, took out a few power lines. The roads are now closed and won't be open for the next few days…so we're going to be stuck here over Christmas."

"Wonderful," Sasuke said darkly as he stared into his cup of black coffee.

Naruto put down his fork, "Are the phones working?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"I'm going to have to make a call then," Naruto smiled rather nervously, "Promised Konohamaru I'd help him get Tsunade's room ready."

"You mean the Dean?" Neji asked, a confused look on his face.

Naruto nodded sheepishly, "Yeah… she's a close friend of the family…used to babysit me."

Neji leaned back in his chair, head nodding back and forth, "Well, that explains a lot…"

:::

"And here's a snow globe for you," Naruto handed Ino her Christmas present, "Courtesy of the resort gift shop."

Ino took the unwrapped gift and shook it, watching as the flakes inside glittered and slowly began to float down to the bottom, "Thank you," she smiled, pecking Naruto on the cheek.

The blonde blushed, shaking his head as he went to sit himself down on the couch next to Sasuke.

"You didn't give Sasuke a present, Naruto," Kiba said, counting up his newly acquired socks, snow globes and key chains.

Kiba!" Ino hissed, jabbing the man in the gut with her elbow. Kiba winced, giving the blue eyed female a dirty look. She motioned towards Sasuke and Naruto with her eyes, hoping desperately that the idiot would understand what she meant. Kiba stared at her, wondering if she suddenly developed a twitch when it dawned on him.

He paled.

"Yeah," Sasuke turned his body to face Naruto, "Where is _my_ gift?"

Naruto swallowed thickly, his cheeks tinting red as he squirmed in his seat, "I'll give it to you later, Bastard."

"Later?" Sasuke smirked, "Is it something dirty?"

"Shut up, you ass!"

"Hn."

Naruto lunged at Sasuke, jumping atop him in an attempt to silence the Uchiha by blocking off his main source of air. The raven grinned, grabbing the blonde by the wrist and twisting his arm, effectively causing Naruto to back up.

"Who said the fighting would stop when they got together?" Temari grumbled, looking pointedly at her boyfriend as the two men continued to beat at each other on the couch.

Shikamaru turned his face away, hoping to hide the obvious embarrassment he felt.

"Yeah, Shikamaru!" Kiba joined in, wanting to drown out the sound of Naruto and Sasuke, "I recall you saying that you never make mistakes."

"One mistake," Shikamaru grumbled loudly under his breath, "And you come down on me as if I brought about the apocalypse."

"Well," Gaara shrugged his shoulders, "This is pretty apocalyptic."

"Indeed," Neji agreed, watching the two fight on the couch, "Who would have guessed they would have such a physical relationship…"

Help!" Naruto called out as Sasuke sat on him and grabbed his arms, "I'm being molested!"

Sakura giggled to herself, "You can't be molested by him, Naruto," she folded her new sweatshirt in her lap, "He's your boyfriend. He's supposed to molest you."

"What kind of screwed up logic is that?" Naruto cried out as Sasuke bent his leg back.

"My kind of logic," the Uchiha smirked, leaning down so that his face was mere inches away from Naruto's, "Merry Christmas, Dobe." He pecked him on the lips quickly before tightening his hold on Naruto's leg, making the blonde curse colorfully.

"Fuck you," Naruto furrowed his brow, though the playful look was back in his eye.

Sasuke chuckled, "Later."

"And that's disgusting," Kiba whined, putting his hands over his ears to show his obvious distaste for the two men.

Hinata let out a delicate laugh, her cheeks flushed with obvious merriment as Sakura pulled out her camera and took a picture of Sasuke and Naruto on the couch.

Outside the wind was blowing, dusting the windows with the light Christmas snow. Many of the vacationers had turned in for the night, eager to get home to spend New Year's Eve with their families.

The gang continued to laugh and tell jokes well into the morning hours. At one point, they even had a soda drinking contest. It was no surprise that Choji won that endeavor by a landslide, effectively winning twenty bucks from a disgruntled Kiba. Even Gaara shared in the fun of their makeshift Christmas, participating in the early morning game of truth and dare, thus kissing Neji fully on the lips. Everyone hooted as Neji colored, his usually ivory complexion taking on a red hue.

"He's so gay," Tenten whispered into Temari's ear secretively, "Look at your brother's face!"

Temari nodded, eyeing Neji as well, "The Hyuga didn't seem repulsed either."

"I'm tired," Choji yawned from his seat on the five person couch, looking at his watch he shook his head, "It's four in the morning…if any of you are planning on leaving today, then you'd better get some rest."

"We're going," Ino grabbed Choji's arm, "Good night everyone!"

"I'm going in too," Shikamaru sighed, standing up and stretching his arms, "Temari?"

The blonde woman rolled her eyes but got up as well.

Soon everyone was on their way to their rooms, all suddenly tired. Sakura was just about to step into the elevator when Neji stopped her with a hand on the shoulder. Turning around, she looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"What is it, Neji?" The Hyuga motioned for her to follow him, away from the gang heading into the open doors of the elevator. Sakura sighed, slumping her shoulders before following Neji the short distance. Once they were far enough away, Sakura glanced up at Neji, "Can you tell me now?"

He nodded, "Sakura, do you have feelings for Naruto?"

The rosette wrinkled her nose in confusion, "What? Like, you mean like romantic feelings?" Neji nodded. "Definitely not."

"You positive?"

Sakura nodded, "I am one hundred percent positive that I do not harbor any romantic feelings for Naruto."

"Alright then," Neji relaxed, "Well then this shouldn't be a problem for you. You see," Neji began, "Naruto bought you a ring."

"A ring?"

"An engagement ring to be exact," Neji clarified.

"Why the hell did he do that?" Sakura paled, her hand unconsciously coming up to stroke her stomach. Thankfully, Neji had been looking into her face when she did so, thereby letting the gesture go by unnoticed.

"I think _you_ bringing up the promise he made you played a significant role in his decision," Neji pointed out, "Now what you need to do is convince him that you don't want to marry him."

"Yes, of course," Sakura nodded her head vigorously, "I will do that right now," she made an attempt to leave but was stopped by Neji's grip on her shoulder again.

He looked at her morosely, "Not now, Sakura….later."

"Why?"

"If you do it now, he'll be suspicious."

Sakura frowned, mulling the situation over in her head.

Indeed, Neji was right.

Sasuke and Naruto had just gotten together. Their relationship was still too fragile for Sakura to be bringing out _this _skeleton. There was no need to remind Naruto of his promise. He needed time to forget, and Sasuke was the perfect distraction.

"Alright," she nodded her head, "I'll do it when the spring semester starts up. That should give him enough time to develop his own relationship and let this promise take a backseat."

Neji nodded, "That sounds good." Letting go of her shoulder, Neji walked ahead to go call the elevator.

* * *

"**So, Neji," Author says calmly, **"**That smooch with Gaara."**

"**Smooch?" Neji's eye twitches, "It wasn't a smooch. He kissed me."**

"**Yes," Author smiles, "But you liked it."**

"**I do not know what you're talking about," Neji quickly turns away, trying to hide the creeping blush on his face.**

"**Seriously? Author crosses her arms, "You're trying to hide from me? I Fucking narrate you!"**

"**WHAT?" Neji panics, "What do you mean by narrate me?"**

"**I control you," Author smirks, "I can make you do whatever I want…like make you have sex with Gaara." **

"**Gaara," Neji hesitates, "No you can't do that."**

"**Do you want me to make it happen?"**

**Neji looks down, embarrassed, "Possibly."**

"**Ah," Author shakes her head, "You fickle, fickle little man…"**

"**I'm rubbish," Neji slumps.**

"**I love you anyways," Author hugs Neji who automatically freezes in her arms, "Now tell people to review!"**

"**Review," Neji says glumly, "Or you'll get teased."**

"**But you like it," Author reminds Neji.**

**The Hyuga blushes, "I do."**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**


	15. A Polaroid For Your Thoughts

**My, my, my I sure haven't updated this story in a while. Sorry about that ^^; **

**Thank you all for leaving such amazing reviews, I hope I managed to respond to everyone that left me a comment. If I missed someone accidently, just let me know!**

**As you can see, this chapter is basically double in length of the last one and…you finally get to…well, you'll see ^_^**

**Also on another note, I've had one or two people ask me to change the category of this story from comedy to drama. Honestly, I wish you could put up three genres because this story is a mix of both comedy, romance AND drama. So I decided to ask you guys what you think. Should I change the category from comedy to drama? Let me know by leaving it in your review, along with any questions you may have!**

* * *

Chapter 15: A Polaroid For Your Thoughts

Kiba grouchily sat on the living room couch staring at the television screen while maintaining a focused eye on the digital time displayed on the DVD player. _Ten more minutes_, he thought to himself as he sighed, hand playing with the black remote control in his lap. Sasuke was never one to be late. Slouching against the leather back of the sofa, Kiba yawned and glanced at Naruto's door. Even from this distance he was able to hear the young blonde walking back and forth in his room, no doubt putting the finishing touches on his outfit.

Frowning, the quick tongued brunette scratched his head, face taking on a rather sour look, "He's sure taking his time."

From a few feet away, Shikamaru looked up from the newspaper article he had been reading, casually turning his eyes in the direction of the closed door which currently concealed one Naruto Uzumaki. With one eyebrow raised, he swung back to face the grouch sitting stiffly on the couch, nose pointed towards the screen.

"People usually take their time getting ready when going out on a date."

"Humph," shifting his sitting position, Kiba changed the channel and growled, "Damn, nothing good is on."

"Watch a movie then."

"Don't wanna."

"Take Akamaru out."

"Already did."

Growing annoyed with the suddenly darkening atmosphere, Shikamaru folded his newspaper, "Then call up Lee or Choji and go out. Do something!"

"They all have plans!" Kiba whined, turning his head towards his friend. "Choji and Ino are in the city and Lee went up to some weird retreat with Gai for a week. My winter break sucks!"

"Well what did you do last time?" Shikamaru asked acidulously, "I do not recall being harassed this _frequently_ last year."

The usually upbeat and boisterous man slumped in his seat, head bowing, "I hung out with Naruto."

In the four corners of his room, Naruto had finally narrowed down the shirt choices for his date with Sasuke. Hanging the two shirts up side by side he took to staring at them with a scrutinizing eye.

The soft blue button down by Versace would definitely bring out the color of his eyes in an appealing fashion. However, the white button down with the Gucci crest on the front and the red and black collar would give him the look of refinement. Without a doubt he knew he wanted to look as cool and collected as Sasuke always did. He smiled lightly to himself, no matter what it was the Uchiha did he always managed to seem on top and in control of every situation he was put in.

Sighing, Naruto glanced at Gamakichi. The small tree frog remained immobile as it stared back at him with its large amphibian eyes. Standing in his tight fitting jeans the blonde crossed his arms and glanced at the digital clock resting on his drawer. Swearing under his breath when he realized he had only ten minutes left, he grabbed the white Gucci shirt and pushed his arms through the sleeve holes, expertly doing up the buttons before rushing to his desk and grabbing the bottle of hair gel. Hurriedly he styled his hair, clicking his tongue angrily when a pair of stubborn blonde locks decided to be bothersome. With one hard tug he managed to spike the patronizing hairs up, grinning cockily in his triumph. Reaching for his signature cologne, Naruto quickly applied it before staring into the mirror. Grin growing wider by the second as he admired his reflecting physique.

This time he had really outdone himself.

Sticking his hands into his pockets, Naruto walked towards his door, each footstep more confident than the one before it.

With a million dollar smile, he threw the door open, walking out only to freeze in his tracks once his eyes landed on the raven haired man sitting comfortably on the couch before him.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru drawled from his seat, "He's done."

Naruto's mouth flopped open like a fish as he watched Sasuke rise and turn around, looking him over.

"Y-you said seven thirty!"

"I did," Sasuke nodded, "And it's currently seven twenty-nine."

"Y-You're early!"

Sasuke folded his arms, "Amazing deduction skills, Naruto." Grabbing his coat from the chair the Uchiha pulled it on, a smirk playing across his face as he walked towards the door, "You look good."

The blonde instantly colored.

"And that's more than I can handle," Kiba winced, scrunching his nose distastefully, "No more couple-y stuff until I'm out of earshot, okay?"

Turning so the others couldn't see his flaming face, Naruto awkwardly walked towards the coat closet and grabbed his jacket. Pulling it on rather quickly, he rushed over to Sasuke and hid the lower portion of his face in his scarf. Smiling to himself, the Uchiha slowly pulled one hand out of his pocket and took hold of Naruto's warm hand. Giving it a pleasant squeeze he pulled the blonde out of the apartment.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Naruto!" Kiba yelled as the blonde pulled the door closed. Burying his head further into his scarf Naruto blushed crimson, thinking off all the things he'd _already_ done with Sasuke that Kiba wouldn't approve of.

As they walked out of the apartment building Naruto felt the cold wetness of snow hitting his cheek. Squinting his eyes, he followed behind Sasuke as the older man led him to his parked car. The vehicle itself looked ordinary, nothing flashy or highly expensive much to Naruto's surprise. Pulling the keys out of his coat pocket, Sasuke unlocked the car and motioned for Naruto to get inside. Having no need to be told twice, Naruto jumped into the passenger seat and rubbed his ungloved hands together.

Glancing over at his date, Sasuke couldn't help but frown in annoyance. The blonde was just the same as always. "Where are your gloves?"

Flexing his fingers in an effort to help the blood flow, Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know. Lost them after the ski trip." Grunting as Sasuke started the car, Naruto pulled on his seatbelt, "I've decided it's better to just not bother with them. If I buy myself a new pair, I'll just loose them again within a week."

"Hn."

Leaning back against the seat, Naruto relaxed as the heat Sasuke had switched on began to circulate through the car, hitting his face. They had barely been outside for two minutes and already Naruto had felt himself turning into a human icicle. Cold weather was just not his thing. He couldn't understand how some people loved the biting cold of winter.

Kiba for instance.

That guy never complained about the cold, in fact he'd even seen Kiba take Akamaru out in a t-shirt and jersey shorts!

"I made us reservations at one of the restaurants in the city," Sasuke stated as he came to stop at a red light, "We're going to have to park the car in an indoor lot and walk a few blocks. That okay?"

Naruto nodded, head tilting slightly as he reflected on the Uchiha's outfit. Smooth black button down over dark navy jeans, "Yeah…but aren't we dressed a little too casual?"

With a shake of his head, Sasuke smirked, "Not at all."

Eyeing the suspicious way Sasuke was smiling, Naruto squirmed nervously in his seat. "Where are we going exactly?"

"The Red Cloud."

"Never heard of it."

Sasuke's smirk widened, "Itachi goes there quite a lot. He even owns a few shares of the company," turning to look at Naruto's confused face, the Uchiha's eyes glinted suggestively, "We have a private booth on the second floor, so no one will bother us."

Instantly a red hue appeared on the blonde's cheeks. Turning his face away before Sasuke could notice, he took to staring at the passing streets outside. There were a number of people buzzing about, walking in and out of stores. He spotted a young couple, under a streetlight, darting into a café as the car passed by, the girl laughing as her boyfriend removed her mittens. Resting his forehead against the cold glass window Naruto smiled, feeling a sense of contentment he hadn't experienced for quite a while. Closing his eyes, the blonde sighed, deciding to take pleasure from the uncommon feeling.

After parking in the indoor lot, Sasuke and Naruto walked towards the restaurant, not minding the glances thrown at them by the others.

Sasuke grunted, chancing a look at Naruto as they crossed the street. The blonde had his face buried yet again in the orange scarf, his expression unreadable.

Thinking maybe Naruto wasn't comfortable with some of the looks being thrown at them, the Uchiha took a step away, increasing the distance between them. Almost immediately Naruto stepped closer to the older man, his coat sleeve brushing against Sasuke's. Internally the raven haired man smiled, his outward appearance remaining indifferent however as they continued on their way.

Upon reaching the elegant establishment known as 'The Red Cloud,' Sasuke and Naruto were directly led to the second floor where their private booth was already laid out and waiting. Removing his coat, Naruto grinned and rushed towards the window, pressing his nose against the cold glass as he stared out at the city. The sky was an inky black, looming over the twinkling city like a reaper over a dying man. Gaping at all the lights below, Naruto's eyes crinkled at the corners.

In the meantime, Sasuke decided to order the two of them a nice bottle of red wine along with the recommended appetizers. After having dismissed the waiter, the Uchiha smoothly undid the top two buttons of his Royal Oxford weaved shirt, letting the soft silky fabric brush against the back of his hand as he came to stand behind his date.

"We could go look around afterwards if you want," Sasuke whispered into Naruto's ear, his lips brushing against the other man's earlobe. The blonde shivered, "After all, I do owe you dinner."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he spoke, "Haven't been out to the city in a long time."

"Hn," wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist, Sasuke pressed closer, "Why is that?"

"N-no time," the younger man stuttered, fingers coming up to undo the first button of his shirt, wondering distractedly if the restaurant had turned up the thermostat.

The sound of the waiter clearing his throat alerted the two men that they were no longer alone. Frowning in annoyance Sasuke turned, "Let's eat."

:::

Orochimaru was sitting at his kitchen table reading through the latest scientific journal released by ChemComm when there was a knock at his door. Choosing to ignore it, he turned the page of his magazine and continued to sip the glass of white wine he had poured himself beforehand.

The knock came again.

The well seasoned chemistry department head grit his teeth in annoyance. Having specifically bought this house for the purpose of distancing himself from the surrounding nosy busybodies, he was finding it rather hard to enjoy his leisure time.

There were still two weeks left of winter vacation. What could his damned students _possibly_ want from him? He had specifically said that he wouldn't be writing _anyone_ any recommendation letters! Having made sure to be particularly nasty to them, he thought this sort of thing would cease. And yet, he was still attracting attention!

The knock came again for the third time.

Slamming his fist against the smooth table surface, Orochimaru pushed back his chair and marched toward his front door, livid beyond belief. Swinging it wide open he found himself staring down at his four eyed teaching assistant, Kabuto Yakushi.

"What is it?" He spat, eye ticking dangerously, "I thought I told you never to come here unless there was an emergency."

"It's an emergency!" Kabuto managed to blurt out before his senior had the chance to shut the door.

Freezing in place, Orochimaru blinked twice as his brain processed what the younger man said. Swallowing thickly he grabbed Kabuto by the collar and pulled him inside. After locking the door he turned, eyes staring venomously at the intruder as panic began to gnaw at his insides.

"What is it?"

"It's Kimimaro."

:::

Sasuke took a sip of his wine as he watched Naruto eye the two balls of salmon sitting on the edge of his porcelain plate. The fish had been exquisitely prepared, served with a tangy sauce that he had most definitely enjoyed. With a small smile he picked up his silver tipped fork and poked the ball of baked fish, stretching his arm out slightly, "Here."

Naruto glanced up, eyes locking with those of midnight black before focusing wholeheartedly on the mouth watering morsel on the end of the Uchiha's fork. Leaning forwards a little he took the fork in his mouth and pulled the fish off.

It was just as he had imagined it, scrumptious.

Smiling widely, Naruto nodded, "It's very good." Casting his eyes back down on his plate, Naruto looked at the colorful display of shrimp and green peas, arranged artfully by the chef, "This is good too. Want to try it?"

Having tried that particular dish before, Sasuke knew exactly how it would taste. Nonetheless he nodded and watched as Naruto forked one of the orange tailed shrimp and held it out. Meeting the younger man's eye, Sasuke smirked before leaning forwards and grabbing the shrimp with his teeth, making quite a show of it. The blonde let out a chuckle as Sasuke nodded his head, letting him know that the dish was acceptable.

"This is nice," Naruto whispered after lowering his fork.

The Uchiha nodded his head in agreement, letting a few stray strands of hair fall into his eyes, "Indeed."

"We should have done this a long time ago," the blonde picked up his glass of wine, swirling it gently before bringing it to his lips and taking a sip.

"You were stubborn."

"And _you_ were an ass."

Sasuke flinched, "It wasn't all just me…and I've already apologized for all that," he muttered, "You don't need to keep bringing it up."

Sighing the blonde put down his glass and picked up his fork, stabbing one of the shrimp and sticking it in his mouth.

"Hn."

"I want you to talk to me," Naruto said after swallowing, "No more keeping things from me, okay?_ I_ never kept anything from you."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sasuke leaned back in his seat, "Fine, fine."

"There will be no more Michiru's."

"No more Michiru's."

"No more spilling of secrets."

"No secret spilling."

Naruto grinned, "No molesting in front of friends."

"No more molesting in fr –" Sasuke paused, frowning, "What? I don't molest you!"

"Yeah right," Naruto smirked, "But then again…I don't really mind. Molest away."

A dangerous glint sparked in Sasuke's eyes as he stared across the table at his lover, "You don't mind, you say?"

Realizing what he'd just let spill from his mouth, Naruto gave a nervous laugh, hand coming to rub against the back of his neck, "I-I didn't m-mean literally…S-Sasuke…f-figuratively, y-you know?"

"Hn."

"Sasuke," Naruto said wearily, sweat beginning to bead on his brow as he looked up at his date nervously, "F-figuratively, you understand, right?"

"Completely."

Naruto swallowed hard, _then why do I get the feeling that you're about to jump me?_ Giving his head a shake he lifted his fork and began to eat with newfound versatility.

With an amused glint, Sasuke watched Naruto shovel the food into his mouth. Table manners completely lost to the blonde. At that moment the raven found himself wondering yet again, for maybe the hundredth time this week, why he was so attracted to this loud, boisterous blonde scatterbrain. Eyes glazing over, Sasuke became lost in his thoughts, pondering over his growing relationship with the blonde.

"Hey."

Startling out of his daze, Sasuke focused his attention on the man that was constantly plaguing his mind. Naruto had his fork outstretched towards him, full of the salmon Sasuke had himself order for his meal.

"If you're not going to eat yourself," Naruto grumbled, "Then I'll just have to feed you."

Immediately a light airy feeling spread through his chest, making the ivory skinned man smile unconsciously.

Tilting his head to the side, Naruto looked curiously at his boyfriend. Having never seen Sasuke's emotions displayed so naturally before, he was finding it hard to come up with the right set of words to convey his thoughts, "Eh…"

Leaning over the table, Sasuke took the fork in his mouth and slid the balled fish off with his lips. Chewing the food, he took a sip of wine and leaned back in his chair, "Thanks."

The blonde blushed, but from what…he wasn't even sure. Averting his gaze, he turned toward the window and stared out. Wondering if that light bubbly feeling he had inside was from the food, or from the man sitting across from him.

:::

"He's been shot," Kabuto said quietly as he bunched the ends of his coat nervously, "They've already admitted him into Konoha General Hospital."

Biting down on his nail, Orochimaru nodded half mindedly and walked into the kitchen, pulling out a chair and instructing the younger man to sit.

Removing his coat, Kabuto stiffly sat in the chair provided him and folded his hands, staring through his lenses as Orochimaru paced back and forth. The chemist's face at this point was unreadable as he wore down the floor boards of his kitchenette, shoes making scuffing noises as he approached a wall and turned.

"Did he manage to make the trade?" He asked suddenly, eyes lifting from the floor.

Kabuto shrugged his shoulders, "I doubt it, though I can ask a friend to find out."

"Your rat at the hospital?" Orochimaru surmised coldly, folding his arms and coming to sit across from his guest.

The younger man smiled dangerously as he nodded, "You're not the only one who's good at blackmailing, you know."

"Indeed."

Pulling out his cell phone, Kabuto flipped it open and searched through his contacts, eyes mirroring a deadly glint once they landed on a particular name. Clearing his throat, the young chemist pressed 'send' and placed the phone close to his ear. It rang three times before being answered by a rather gruff feminine voice.

"Go to hell, Kabuto."

The white haired teaching assistant smiled into the phone, fingers coming to his nose to push up the falling glasses, "Always a pleasure, Tayuya."

"What do you want?"

"I need to know the status of Kimimaro Kaguya," he turned towards Orochimaru, "He was admitted today…gunshot wound."

A sound of ruffling papers and mouse clicking was heard over the phone as Tayuya looked through the files at the nursing station. A few minutes later Kabuto heard the head nurse curse under her breath.

"Kimimaro Kaguya just left surgery," she grumbled lowly, "He's being held in the intensive care unit. Seems like they managed to remove the bullet from his head and control the bleeding…though he's not out of the woods yet. Anything else?"

Yes," Kabuto said charmingly, "What room is he being held in?"

"I'm really not supposed to say," Tayuya grit her teeth in frustration, "This is some police case, they have two officers here monitoring the doors leading into the ICU."

"Tayuya," he purred, "Need I remind you of our arrangement? Believe me it wouldn't be har –"

"Okay!"

Kabuto chuckled, eyes closing like a cat's, "Room number, please."

"I408," she mumbled, "Hope you rot in hell."

Flipping the phone closed, Kabuto took off his glasses and folded his hands together, "He's being watched by the police."

"Hn," Orochimaru leaned back in his seat, "I figured as much."

"He also suffered a head wound. Depending on where the bullet hit, he may not even be able to give a statement."

"I don't like the odds," the chemist grunted, rubbing his cheek agitatedly as his mind worked to come up with a solution. "Damn, he was our main supplier of the o-chlorobenzonitrile. It's one of the few compounds the school doesn't let me order…for obvious reasons. Synthesizing the Ketamine was hard enough…now we're going to have even more lab work."

Kabuto crossed his arms, "Can't you just blackmail someone from DosuChem? You found some dirt on Kimimaro, there must be others with secrets they'd like to keep hidden, working for the company."

"Idiot!" Orochimaru snarled, slamming his fist against the table, "I had Kimimaro on a tight leash before _he_ even set foot into that company!"

Curiosity peeked, Kabuto leaned in closer. Having never seen or heard exactly what Orochimaru had on the sickly looking Kaguya, the younger chemist was intrigued, "You never told me exactly what it was you had on Kimimaro."

Eyes flashing, Orochimaru grinned cruelly, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"I would."

"Hn," the older man scoffed, nonetheless he leaned closer, licking his lips as he did so, "Quite a while back when I was still interning during college, Kimimaro and I worked together. We were both sent to intern at the same company and naturally, one learns secrets about the other." Orochimaru traced the table edge with his thumb as he continued, "It was right after his twenty-sixth birthday…I got the fool piss ass drunk and later in the morning, took him to a zoo. Originally I was going to have the idiot climb into the monkey cage and snap a couple of photos. It wasn't one of my best plans I admit," he shrugged, "But I was still young. When we got there, a whole bunch of elementary school kids were standing around the cage, staring awestruck at the baboons inside. By that time I was ready to give up on my plan. The reason I really needed to get some dirt on the poor fool in the first place was so that I could switch shifts with him during our intern rounds."

"Why di –"

Orochimaru waved him off, "I don't even remember why. Mustn't have been that important. Anyway, we were heading towards the bathrooms when I saw this little blonde headed kid run into the restroom. No one was with him, and honestly I only went in at first to use the loo myself." Pressing his lips together cruelly, Orochimaru rubbed the bridge of his nose with his forefinger, "When I came out, the little kid was staring up at Kimimaro like a deer caught in headlights. He must have been scared stiff because he hadn't even noticed me come out of the stall…it was then that I noticed something very interesting."

Kabuto frowned, not daring to voice his thoughts as Orochimaru leaned back in his seat and looked at him directly.

"Kimimaro was staring at the kid like a wolf appreciating the fine delicate contours of a baby lamb. I even remember him glancing up at me, as if asking for permission. Of course I just gave him the go ahead. He grabbed the brat and pulled him into the nearest stall. I automatically went to lock the front door, pulling out my camera afterwards." Standing from his seat the raven haired chemist walked to a cabinet and pulled out a locked chest. Pulling a key from his trouser pocket he unlocked the small wooden box and drew forth five photographs. Kabuto swallowed haggardly as his employer waltzed towards him, hand outstretched and offering the photos.

With a steady hand, Kabuto took the polaroids and looked. He winced as he glanced at the snapshots, feeling a sense of pity for the young man who had gone through such an ordeal. Upon peering closer at a particular photograph Kabuto frowned, brows creasing together as he stared at the scarred cheeks of the blonde child.

"It couldn't be…"

Orochimaru grinned, "But it is. I had it confirmed." Taking the photographs from Kabuto's shaking hands, the older man said, "That little boy is currently a professor at Konoha University. His name, Naruto Uzumaki."

:::

After having paid the bill for their food, both Sasuke and Naruto made their way to the shopping strip a few blocks away from the restaurant. As to be expected, the blonde couldn't contain his excitement. Grabbing Sasuke by the coat sleeve he dragged him from one decorated store front to the next.

When the snow began mixing with rain and falling harder, Sasuke grabbed the overzealous blue eyed blonde and pulled him into the nearest store.

Brushing the snow off his charcoal black coat Sasuke sighed, watching as Naruto blinked madly in an effort to clear his eye of the snowflake that managed to fly inside.

"Dobe," he said with a hint of exasperation in his voice, "How is it that only _you_ can manage to get snow in your eye while inside a building?"

Growling in annoyance, Naruto shot his date a scowling look, "Shut it, bastard."

"Hn."

Unbuttoning his coat the blonde relaxed and walked up to the rigid looking Uchiha. With a tender glance, he pressed his lips to an ivory temple, letting his breath brush against his lover's cheek as his cold nose nudged the stiff necked man, "Lighten up."

Almost instantly Sasuke felt his inside's melt as a warm feeling crept into his stomach. Bowing his head he tried to cover up the appearance of an obvious blush and stepped away from the younger man. With a knowing smirk, Naruto wrapped his arm around the now limp Uchiha and led him towards the men's section.

It didn't take long for the blonde to become completely immersed in the array of sweaters displayed on the nearest rack. Letting go of Sasuke's arm, Naruto curiously began rifling through the shirts, picking out the ones he deemed wearable.

Shaking his head good naturedly, the raven walked towards the section marked as 'accessories.' His eyes immediately went straight to the table displaying gloves of every sort, head tilting to the side as he read off one label brand after the next.

A small smile played at the corner of his lips as his eyes landed on one pair of gloves in particular. Reaching forwards he picked them up, admiring the hand done stitching. His fingers trailed over the auburn strip at the edge, noting the fine craftsmanship and detail. Pulling the glove over his own hand he flexed his fingers, examining the mobility within the dark brown leather.

Like a vulture waiting to swoop down on its prey, the sales associate crept closer to the Uchiha. Circling him twice before finally approaching, "May I help you?"

"Hn."

"I beg your pardon?"

"What sizes do these gloves come in?" He asked stoically, eyeing the salesman with a hint of irritation.

"Ah these," taking the gloves from Sasuke's hands, the salesman began waiving them around, "A very good choice. Hackett, a London brand mind you, very good quality and quite luxurious. These gloves in particular come in four different colors, each sporting the auburn strip on the en –"

"I don't care about that," Sasuke growled, taking the gloves back from the annoying sales associate, "Just tell me what sizes they come in."

"S-small, medium and l-large," the other man stuttered, blinking twice and taking a step back hurriedly.

"Thank you." Nodding his head at the salesman, Sasuke grabbed the smallest size and walked away leaving the sales associate standing by himself with his mouth flapping open and closed.

Naruto wrinkled his nose after coming out of the dressing room, dissatisfied with all the shirts he had handpicked. Pulling his coat back on he muttered under his breath, "Damn prices…since when does one lousy shirt cost sixty-five bucks?"

"You done?"

Naruto looked up, head nodding as he saw Sasuke approach him with a bag in hand. Eyeing the small bag curiously, Naruto sidled up to his boyfriend as they walked towards the exit, irises shinning with excitement, "What you get?"

"You'll see."

"When?" Naruto licked his lips, arm coming to wrap around Sasuke's bicep. The older man smiled, slowing his stride as they approached the revolving doors.

"Once we get outside."

Grinning, Naruto picked up the pace, nearly running out the doors with Sasuke flailing behind him. As soon as the blonde felt the first snowflake hit his nose he turned around, staring up at Sasuke expectantly. The Uchiha immediately started laughing, his head falling back as he did so. Naruto blanched, quickly checking himself for any embarrassing rips or tears. When finding nothing amiss he looked curiously at his date, one eyebrow cocked upwards, "What?"

Covering his mouth with a gloved hand Sasuke shook his head, trying to compose himself. With a rather impatient grumble, Naruto folded his arms and waited for the usually apathetic Uchiha to settle down.

After finally reining in his emotions, Sasuke sniffled lightly, cheeks flushing a delicious cherry red. Eyes shining brightly, he instructed Naruto to stretch out his arms and close his eyes. That set of directions was instantly followed by a whine which was instantly silenced by a furious headshake. Puffing his cheeks stubbornly, the blonde shut his eyes tight and stretched out his hands.

Quickly Sasuke reached into his bag and pulled out the recently purchased gloves, snapping the plastic fastening with one mighty tug. Then taking Naruto's hand the Uchiha slid the leather glove on, repeating the same process with the blonde's other hand.

"Don't you even think of losing these."

Opening his eyes, Naruto looked down at his hands. A smile edged its way onto his face as he flexed his fingers. "I'm not very good at keeping track of my gloves."

"Lose these and I will kill you."

"That expensive, huh?" Naruto grinned, "You like me a lot, don't you?"

"Hn."

As they were about to cross the road a car made a sharp turn onto the street they were crossing, its wheels ripping through the sleet and causing it to splash out in a wave. Naruto gave a sharp yell as the slush hit him full force, Sasuke cursed shielding his face as the runoff hit him square in the chest.

"C-cold!" Naruto griped, shivering like a leaf as the car raced down the street. Shaking his fist at the departing vehicle, Naruto yelled, "Bastard! Watch where you're going!"

Grabbing the blonde by the arm, Sasuke began walking briskly back to towards the indoor parking lot. His teeth beginning to chatter as his body shivered. Beside him Naruto sneezed, his cheeks red from the cold.

"D-damn it," he mumbled as he rushed beside Sasuke, "S-stupid d-driver."

Upon reaching the lot, Sasuke gave his ticket to the worker at the window. Within two minutes his car was brought out and the two shivering men got inside. Right after getting in, Sasuke blasted the heat, sighing in relief as the hot air pushed against his frozen body. With one sympathetic glance at his companion, the Uchiha pulled his car out of the lot and drove onto the snow powdered road.

"I'm taking you to my place," Sasuke said once they both had warmed up a degree, "It's closer. We can dry your clothes there."

"Great," Naruto nodded as he examined his gloves further. Fortunately for him, Sasuke was smart enough to get the waterproof kind. Leaning back in his seat, the blonde sighed contently. His eyes closing softly as he remembered Sasuke's flushed face after he'd kissed him. Smiling to himself, he grunted.

When Naruto entered Sasuke's apartment, the first thing that popped into his mind was _clean_.

All the accessories matched the rooms they were in and everything had its designated space. Naruto swallowed thickly as he stared at his reflection mirrored back to him in the highly polished black marble cabinet.

"The bathroom is on the left," Sasuke said after throwing his coat onto the back of the couch. "You can take a shower and leave the clothes on the counter. I'll put them in the dryer. There is also an extra towel hanging on the door."

Naruto nodded numbly, taking off his shoes and waddling in his wet socks towards the aforementioned bathroom. Upon entering, Naruto made quick work of his clothes, quickly pulling them off and folding them neatly on the counter. He glanced at the extra towel and snorted, _looks like a fucking tomato._ As he pulled off his underwear his hands tightened around the boxers, cheeks flaming at the thought of Sasuke holding them. Shaking his head he pushed those thoughts aside and jumped into the shower, letting the scalding water warm him right down to the soul.

As he scrubbed at his scalp his thoughts began drifting. Eyeing the washcloth hanging on the rail inside the shower, Naruto exhaled shakily. _Sasuke probably uses that when he's in here,_ he gulped, _naked…he showers naked like everyone, right? That means this washcloth touched him everywhere…everywhere…_

Reaching towards the washcloth Naruto let his fingers run over its rough edges. He swallowed hard, senses completely attune to the growing heat in the pit of his stomach. He was just about to grab the cloth when the door to the bathroom clicked open. Withdrawing his hand as fast as he could, the blonde averted his attention as Sasuke came in to take his clothes.

"I'm leaving you some of my stuff to change into once you're done," the Uchiha said as he gathered Naruto's things.

"O-okay."

Smirking slyly, Sasuke leaned the back of his head against the shower door, "You okay in there? I can come in if you need any help…"

"I'm fine!" The blonde squeaked, voice cracking in a rather unmanly way.

Letting out a soft chuckle, Sasuke nodded and left the bathroom, eyes rolling in amusement.

The Uchiha was sitting on the couch leafing through a magazine when the door to the bathroom creaked open. Sucking in his cheeks, he fought the urge to turn around and waited patiently for Naruto to approach him. Slowly but surely he heard the blonde's soft footsteps come closer, a few second later he felt him sit down on the couch beside him. Shutting the magazine closed, he turned.

Naruto had his eyes downcast, staring at the thick carpet beneath his feet, his cheeks sporting a rather delicious pink hue. Sasuke held in the urge to snort as he noticed how big his shirt appeared on his boyfriend. A long slender neck had been left unclothed as the shoulders of the t-shirt sagged on the blonde's slim frame.

"Your clothes are a bit too big," Naruto mumbled as he continued to stare at the carpet, blue eyes unblinking, "Though I have this nagging feeling that you rifled through your closet in search of the largest t-shirt you could find."

Sasuke cleared his throat, pulling at his collar as he averted his gaze. Cheeks coloring slightly he swallowed hard. Had he not been one hundred percent positive that Naruto had been in the shower, he would have accused the younger man of spying on him.

"Your things should be done in an hour."

"Cool," Naruto leaned back against the couch, finally lifting his head, "You have a nice apartment."

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, throwing the magazine lightly onto the coffee table in front of them, "When my parents died they left Itachi and me a bit of money. My brother invested his share into his company. I on the other hand, bought myself this place and put the rest in a savings account."

"Ah," Naruto nodded, "Have you talked to Itachi recently?"

"Yeah," the Uchiha turned towards Naruto, his eyes smiling, "They're thinking about having the wedding sometime in April."

"April," Naruto grinned, "Good choice, one of my favorite months."

Sasuke snorted, "You've got a favorite month? That's ridiculous."

The blonde growled, "So is having obsessions with tomatoes. Seriously Sasuke, tomato inspired towels? That's crazy!"

Fidgeting in his seat, Sasuke thinned his lips, "Better than having an obsession with ramen."

"I don't _have_ an obsession with ramen!" Naruto grabbed the Uchiha by the collar and brought his face mere millimeters away from Sasuke's, "It's just a favorite food."

"I don't understand how you're not obese yet," Sasuke smirked impishly, "You eat it about every other day."

Blue eyes narrowed, "You calling me fat, bastard?"

"Nope."

"Sounds like it."

"Hn."

Naruto blinked, suddenly realizing how close to he was to Sasuke's face. He was just about to jerk backwards but the Uchiha grabbed him, not letting him escape.

"Why so jumpy, Naruto?" Sasuke whispered knowingly, his nose brushing against his lover's.

"N-no reason," the younger man stammered as he leaned backwards causing the Uchiha to push forwards.

Letting his tongue flick against the blonde's ear, Sasuke felt Naruto shiver beside him, his resistance crumbling like the Berlin wall. Two toned arms swiftly came up to wrap themselves around the Uchiha's neck as Sasuke's lips pressed against his. Naruto moaned as he pushed his heated body to that of his lovers, letting Sasuke lower him down on the couch in one spirited sweep.

Lifting the t-shirt slightly, Sasuke pressed his palm against the smooth skin, letting his slender fingers trace the contours of Naruto's muscles. Again he felt the blonde shiver against him, causing his insides to flare. Hungrily he kissed the younger man, pressed his tongue against his lover's and letting it run against the ridges and crevices that were gradually becoming familiar to him.

"Stay the night," Sasuke murmured after pulling his lips away, eyes glazed over with desire as he stared into Naruto's flushed face.

Licking his lips stimulatingly, Naruto nodded, eyes mirroring the same desire, "Okay."

Smiling happily, Sasuke lowered his head and recaptured Naruto's lips in a sweet kiss.

* * *

**Don't forget to let me know if I should leave the category as comedy or change it to drama!**

**Thank you all for reading!**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**


	16. What Goes Also Comes

**I'm alive!**

**Why have I been MIA for three months?**

**It's really quite simple…Pharmacy school sucks Orochimaru balls. **

**That's why.**

**But luckily for me, I have an amazing dad who bought me an ipad, thus enabling me to write at any free moment I have. So thanks to him, this chapter is complete.**

**Thanks papacat!**

* * *

Chapter 16: What Goes Also Comes

Walking steadily down the eerily quiet corridor, Kabuto's hand tightened around the syringe of potassium in the pocket of his commandeered nursing uniform.

Tayuya had been extremely useful in helping him acquire it, albeit unwillingly.

With the surgical mask covering half his face, he sighed in relief upon witnessing one of the police officers guarding Kimmimaro's room step away from his post.

Driving out of his way and coming down to spy on the local guards for the past few weeks had indeed proved useful.

Kabtuo watched from behind his dark rimmed glasses as the huskier guard quickened his step. _Just like clockwork_, Kabuto thought to himself as he slowed down to a stop, _Thank god for large prostates. _From just a few meters away, he watched with a cynical expression as the guard adjusted his heavy belt before disappearing into the depths of the men's room.

Having patiently waited for this opportune moment, Kabuto now animatedly took a step forward.

Knowing he had very few precious minutes before the guard in the bathroom could empty out his overly saturated bladder, he moved quick.

Giving the residing police officer a curt nod and a flash of his fake badge, Kabuto stepped into the hospital room where the unconscious third member of his team now resided. The room held no comforting bouquets of flowers, nor any get well cards or stuffed animals. Pale white walls surrounded the comatose patient on all sides. Even the shutters on the windows were closed.

Lifting his gloved hand to his face, Kabuto pulled down his mask. Then taking another few steps forward, the young chemist gazed distastefully at the pasty faced Kimmimaro, not even feeling one ounce of guilt for what he was about to do.

Orochimaru had been adamant about one thing and one thing only, make it look as natural as possible.

With a tightening of his lip, Kabuto reached into his pocket and pulled out the syringe filled with liquid potassium. Giving it a tap before squirting some of the substance out, he insured that there were no oxygen bubbles within the syringe. Then with a resigned look of determination, Kabuto cast his gaze over to the hanging IV bag beside the bed. Adjusting the glasses on his nose, he peered through the crystal clear glass, following the drip line and noting that it ended at his target's right arm.

"Such a waste of good potassium," Kabuto said bitterly to himself as he administered the dose into the drip line. "Your death should have been much more painful than this, you sick asshole."

Estimating that he had roughly fifteen minutes before Kimmimaro's heart stopped, Kabuto pulled his surgical mask back over his face and pocketed the now empty syringe.

Giving the room a quick scan, he soon found what he was looking for. Without wasting even a second, he walked towards a cabinet by the door and pulled out an extra intravenous bag.

One he had ordered Tayuya to specifically place there for him.

Then reaching into his other pant pocket, he pulled out another syringe. This one filled with a dark yellow dye he managed to pilfer from the Biology Department last semester, for his own personal experiment. Quickly, he injected the dye into the bag and gave it a few good shakes. Then, taking three large steps forward, he opened the hospital door, 'pee' bag in hand.

The police officer standing by beside the entryway nodded his head at the supposed male nurse as Kabuto heaved an audible sigh.

"Sometimes I really hate my job," he said aloud, giving the cop an agonizing look.

Feeling quite sympathetic, the police officer sighed alongside him, "I feel you."

:::

"Hurry up, Kiba!" Naruto yelled from the doorway, all dressed and ready to teach the new semester students.

With one wicked glance in Naruto's direction, Kiba buttoned up his grey winter coat and shuffled towards the door. Right behind him was Shikamaru, keys already in hand and a bored expression on his face.

"I don't understand why you're in such a bad mood," Shikamaru said dryly after letting out a monstrous yawn, "You've been complaining all winter break how you were _bored_ out of your _mind._"

Wrinkling his nose, Kiba sourly turned to look at Shikamaru, "I prefer being _bored_ out of my _mind_ then having to teach another set of degenerates for the next _four _and a half _months_."

"Aw, Kiba," Naruto effectively grabbed his friend by the shoulder and hauled him out the door, "Don't be like that! Think of it this way, you get to see everyone all the time again! Isn't that great?"

The chestnut haired professor reined in the urge to smack that bright, shinning smile off his companion's face. Biting his tongue he lowered his gaze and shook Naruto's hand off before stuffing his fists into his pockets.

"Only reason you're so happy is because you'll be seeing Sasuke everyday now," he said bitterly.

"Not like he hasn't been doing that for the past three weeks," Shikamaru added wryly.

"Screw you two," Naruto scrunched his nose, mood now ruined by Kiba's endorphin chomping attitude, "Let's just get going. I have an early class."

"We _all_ have an early class."

"Damn it, Kiba!"

"Well we do!"

Giving a shake of his head, the smartest member of the threesome watched the other two shuffle down the corridor.

Things had definitely changed in their little household ever since Naruto started dating Sasuke, and surprisingly it wasn't the blonde who had changed the most. With a heavy sigh, Shikamaru locked the door behind himself as Naruto and Kiba continued their argument down the stairs. Resting his head against the cool surface of their apartment door, the young psychology professor grumbled to himself, "I hate Mondays."

Upon reaching the University, the three professors immediately made their way to the staff lounge.

_Some_ more quickly than others.

"Good morning everyone!" Naruto beamed happily, eyes instantly scanning the four corners of the room for a certain someone. His smile faltered slightly when he realized Sasuke had yet to arrive. However, never one to be a pessimist, the bright eyed blonde turned his attention back to the crowd of professors.

Kankuro looked up from his cup of coffee, mouth slack jawed as he stared flabbergast at the blonde Uzumaki, "How can he be so chipper this early in the morning?" He whispered to himself hoarsely.

Hinata, who was sitting at the round table with this morning's lecture outline displayed before her, looked up. "Good morning, Naruto."

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto greeted back enthusiastically, walking past the coffee machine and taking a seat beside the usually soft spoken and quiet woman, "How was your winter vacation?"

"G-good," she nodded her head, "Yours?"

"Amazing."

"T-that's nice."

"Uh huh," Naruto nodded, then glancing at the papers on the table, lifted a brow upwards, "Nervous already?"

Shyly Hinata nodded her head, "I-it's the first day of c-classes…new f-faces and all. I j-just want to make a good i-impression."

The door to the staff lounge creaked opened, admitting the three smiling faces of Sakura, Ino and Choji.

"Morning slave drivers," Ino grinned then turned her head to the side to watch her boyfriend walk sluggishly to the coffee machine. Catching Hinata's eye, the blonde woman winked before turning back to the door, "Can't catch up now, got class in fifteen minutes. Just came in to say hi."

"Hi," everyone answered back politely.

"Bye now!"

"Bye."

"Argh!" Choji angrily slammed his meaty fist against the coffee machine, "Which idiot here used this last?"

Kankuro lethargically looked up from his cup of coffee and squinted, irises directed at the blinking light emitting from the machine. "Woops, sorry Choji. Forgot to add more beans."

"How many cups did you already have, that caused the machine to run out of beans?" Choji asked, shocked.

"Um…"

"Four," Shikamaru surmised as he counted the empty paper cups in the trash bin, "On your fifth, I'm guessing."

Kankuro cracked a half smile, "Yeah..."

Naruto impatiently checked the time displayed on his wristwatch, his foot taping against the floor as he did so.

Frowning, he wrinkled his brow.

He had ten minutes before his first class started…and Sasuke wasn't even here yet. They had only been 'together' for roughly four weeks and already he was feeling that cold emptiness inside him whenever the raven haired bastard was not around. Letting his shoulders sag a bit, Naruto closed his eyes, thinking of all the things he and Sasuke had done over the winter break. A small smile formed on his lips as a memory of the Uchiha flitted to the forefront of his mind.

They were sitting in his apartment with Shikamaru and Kiba beside them on the couch, each holding a wii remote control in their hand. Kiba had just turned on his favorite game, one he was a proud champion of.

Sasuke beat him within five minutes.

Naruto and Shikamaru couldn't stop laughing.

Sasuke displayed his infamous smug expression.

Kiba demanded a rematch.

Which Sasuke gave him.

In which Kiba lost again.

The day ended with Kiba sitting in the kitchen with Akamaru resting his head on the poor guy's lap, thus administering comfort in the truest canine fashion. Of course, Naruto was able to squeeze in a long make out session in his room before the Uchiha went home. He would have loved to have Sasuke stay the night, but Shikamaru and Kiba were adamant about their 'No Sex Noise' policy.

Sighing, Naruto stood from his seat beside Hinata, the strap of his orange backpack coming to rest familiarly against his shoulder as he walked towards the door.

"I got a class," he called out to everyone present as he reached for the knob, giving the residence of the staff lounge a short wave and a cheery smile, "See ya later."

The group nodded tiredly, still not completely caffeinated yet.

With a chuckle rumbling in his throat, Naruto threw the ebony door open only to collide head first with the aforementioned Uchiha.

"Watch it, Dobe," Sasuke grumbled, three long fingers coming up to rub against his forehead.

"Sasuke!" The blonde grinned, hand still pressed firmly against his bruising brow, "I've got a class in ten, but I'll see you later, right?"

The raven headed man nodded, stepping to the side to let his boyfriend pass. Then advancing into the room, Sasuke gave its now, completely alert occupancy, a once over, "What?"

All eyes immediately found new and more interesting things to stare at.

Grumbling to himself yet again, Sasuke walked over to the coffee machine, intent on getting some much needed caffeine before his first calculus class this morning.

The day had _already_ gotten off to a disappointing start.

Not to mention the fact that he missed his chance at pulling Naruto into the bathroom and having a quick 'grown up' session with him.

He had been looking forward to it too. But as luck would have it, he came down to the car lot early this morning to find one of his tires slashed.

No brainer on who that could be.

Sasuke cast an icy cold glare at a certain messy haired brunette. Kiba wisely continued to stir his heavily creamed coffee, pretending he did not feel that piercing gaze at the back of his neck. Swallowing loudly, he continued to stir his cup of joe, accidentally spilling some onto his fingers. Hissing, Kiba mumbled a few choice words before sticking the afflicted fingers into his mouth.

Turning his attention back towards the coffee maker, Sasuke stepped up to it, eyes instantaneously zeroing in on a little red blinking light at the front of the machine. Brows angling downwards in a most ferocious manner, he turned to address his fellow coworkers. "Who?"

All hands instantly pointed at Kankuro, who...suddenly wasn't feeling so tired anymore.

The day progressed much like every other, and soon Sasuke found himself getting ready to go to his last class of the day. Smiling smugly to himself, he walked down the hall, hands in pockets, thinking about a certain blonde enigma. Upon reaching his assigned classroom, he took a look inside.

Just as expected, Naruto was standing by the chalkboard writing up the assigned readings for his English Literature class. Sasuke stared brazenly through the small glass window in the door, willing the blonde to look out. As if feeling his presence, Naruto's head turned.

Sasuke's heart rate quickened as a pair of azure spheres connected with his own eyes of liquid ash. From inside the room the blonde smiled, then turning to his class he put his piece of white chalk down on the desk and dismissed his class.

As the stream of students slowly trickled out, Sasuke smirked and waltzed into the now nearly empty classroom. Naruto was unhurriedly putting his things back into his infamous backpack when he felt two arms encircle him from behind. Alarm bells as loud as gunshots quickly went off in his brain.

"What are you doing?" He hissed tensely, pulling away from the older man.

Confused, Sasuke folded his arms across his sweatered chest and gave his lover a disconcerting look, "Apparently, too much." **(1)**

Licking his bottom lip, Naruto nervously glanced out the door before grabbing Sasuke by the collar and thus pulling him away from the public eye. Then without a moment's hesitation, his lips descended onto those of cherry red. Grunting, the Uchiha took hold of Naruto's chin and deepened the kiss. Having not had the chance to kiss his boyfriend for over twenty-four hours, Sasuke was not about to waste this spurt of good fortune. Pulling Naruto's bottom lip into his mouth, the Uchiha snaked his tongue inside, letting it roam over the contours of the blonde's mouth, terrain which he was now _very_ familiar with.

Naruto's groan of pleasure only served to excite the Uchiha further. Fingers hurried to the front of a pair of khaki trousers, ready to make quick work of a certain brown leather belt.

"S-stop," Naruto gasped, pulling away from his lover with deliciously flushed cheeks, "We can't do this here."

Sasuke's brow furrowed, "Hn?"

"What if someone sees?" Naruto continued nervously, trying to get his breathing back to normal, "If a student reports us, we're done for. Tsunade can't cover for us then. We'd be out of here so fast, I think we'd set a new world record or something..."

"So," Sasuke licked his lips tantalizingly, still not quite ready to give up yet, "You want me to leave you with that obvious boner?"

Naruto froze, eyes rocketing down to examine his trousers. An indignant cry left his lips as he stared at the bulge that wasn't there five minutes ago.

"Look what you did!" He screeched.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, his mouth coming up to form a sly, wolf like grin, "I'm very good at what I do."

"Bastard."

"Hn."

Gritting his teeth, Naruto tried to think of something to rid himself of his obvious sexual arousal. A mental image of Choji in a speedo came to mind, sending all the hemoglobin filled blood rushing back to his brain.

Heaving a sigh of relief, the blonde clutched his chest and closed his eyes.

"Gai in spandex?" Sasuke asked, when he no longer could see the 'tent' in Naruto's pants.

The blonde shook his head, eyes opening to reveal haunted globes of blue, "Choji in a speedo."

"Yeah," Sasuke shivered inwardly, "That would do it."

Outside the room, Orochimaru stood leaning against a long winding wall, a cup of coffee in his hand as he stared into the classroom that currently occupied both Naruto and Sasuke. He couldn't quite see what was going on behind the firmly closed door, but, one didn't need much imagination for that. With one final sip of his Colombian styled brew, the dark haired man threw his paper coffee cup into the nearby trash can and turned swiftly on his heels, efficaciously making his way down the hall to a set of elevators. Soundlessly he stepped inside along with a throng of boisterous students and rode the humming elevator all the way up to the seventh floor Chemistry Department. Clearing his throat as he stepped out of the elevator, Orochimaru lowered his hand into his trouser pocket and walked down the corridor, the dented black metal door at the end of the hallway being his desired destination. With the sound of clinking metal, he withdrew a set of keys from his pocket and set one particularly long one into the heavy duty lock.

On the other side of the door, Kabuto looked up from what he was doing upon hearing someone entering.

When spotting Orochimaru, his eyebrows rose. "What is it?" He asked nervously, his hand firmly holding the neck of a glass Erlenmeyer flask.

Orochimaru grunted as he expeditiously walked towards the desk sitting idly in the corner. Grabbing a rubber band off its surface he thus began tying his long charcoal black hair back. "How much have you purified?"

Sighing, the young chemist shrugged his shoulders, "Not as much as I'd hoped."

Thinning his lips, Orochimaru folded his arms, patience long since worn out. "How much?"

"Four pounds and thirteen grams."

Gritting his teeth, the pale skinned man turned abruptly away from his assistant. Eyes darting about the lab, he gnawed at his lip like a savage as his brain processed the bad news.

"Without Kimmimaro," Kabuto stroked the flask in his hand with the pad of his thumb, "We won't be able to make as much as we used to."

Nodding, Orochimaru turned back around. A resigned expression on his face.

"Not to mention that now we don't have someone to deliver the stuff."

Stilling, Orochimaru blinked. A sudden thought rushing through his head. Kabuto, noticing the suddenly thoughtful expression on his senior's face, paused as well.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru said sharply, eyes focusing on his assistant, "I want you to keep a close watch on Uzumaki."

Puzzled, the younger man frowned, "Any specific reason you want me to do that?"

A cruel smile worked its way on the snake like man's face, "He's going to be our new delivery boy."

"You can't blackmail him with those pictures," Kabuto reminded abruptly, "So how do you propose to get him to do your dirty work for you?"

"I assume you've heard that our little blonde friend has acquired a lover?" Orochimaru spoke, his voice taking on the form of liquid velvet as he drew nearer to his assistant. "Tell me, Kabuto, what is the penalty for being caught participating in inappropriate behavior with your significant other?"

"You get fired," Kabuto answered flatly, "But Naruto knows that. He wouldn't get caught doing anything like that where he might be seen."

"Exactly."

Wrinkling his brow, Kabuto reached for his glasses, absentmindedly fixing them as he mused over what his mentor said. "I don't quite see what you're implying."

"Our good young professor is only human," Orochimaru chuckled, causing a shiver to run down his assistant's spine, "He's bound to slip up at least once...might think no one is looking..."

"Then why don't we use Sasuke," Kabuto suggested. Not really wanting to involve the young blonde in their shady business.

In his opinion, that guy had already been through enough life altering situations...and Naruto was a good man. Sasuke on the other hand...well he wouldn't mind putting that pompous prick in his place. He could surely benefit from being brought down a peg or two with that overly inflated ego of his.

"Sasuke is the type of person who wouldn't let us manipulate him under any circumstance. He has too much pride and thinks through things much too quickly without making rash decisions." Orochimaru growled, "His lover on the other hand, has some kind of hero complex. He wouldn't dare let anything happen to Sasuke's prestigious position at this University. That alone would be enough to get him on board. Deliver the drugs for us, in exchange for his lover's safety."

"Sti-"

"He wouldn't let anything happen to Sasuke...or his little brother..."

"Wait, what?"

Orochimaru stepped closer to his assistant, puffs of breath bouncing off the other man's ear as he leaned in to whisper cruelly, "I also happen to have his snot nosed brother in my lab and lecture for Organic chemistry...and you know how simple it is have a little accident in a lab, Kabuto..."

Eyes widening, Kabuto took a step back and stared fully at the man he was standing next to. For the first time since he started working for the professor five years ago, did Kabuto feel a gnawing fear in the pit of his stomach.

"You're going to threaten him?"

"If it comes to that, yes." Taking a step back, Orochimaru turned and grabbed a dirtied beaker from the table. "We have buyers, Kabuto, that don't like to be kept waiting. Trust me, if they want to, they can find you. That's why I found it absolutely necessary to buy that cabin out in Otogakure and transform it into a safe house. You can never be too careful."

Realizing that the older man was right, Kabuto stiffened. His whole body froze up like an apple dipped into a bowl of liquid nitrogen. The fear in his gut intensified tenfold as he realized that he, in fact, might be in some serious physical danger. Unconsciously, his eyes shifted towards the window, scanning the University grounds for any signs of suspicious behavior. Outside the bare trees stood regally, their branches moving in the wind as students went about their daily activities, either meeting up with friends or running to class. Nothing unusual.

"Watch him," Orochimaru reiterated, all though this time more forcefully. "We only have a few weeks to deliver this shipment. A shipment that is short fifteen pounds."

Swallowing hard, Kabuto nodded, his grip on the glass flask tightening.

:::

It was a quarter to four when Naruto humbly waltzed into the staff lounge. The door behind him banged closed as his eyes immediately landed on a head of raven black hair.

"Hey," he said, brows lifting in suprise, "Aren't you supposed to be teaching still?"

Eyes of ebony black looked up from their current task of scrutinizing Tenten's eating habits and focused lazily on the confused looking blonde.

"Hn."

Tenten hesitantly bit into her perfectly round, fried and topped with caviar, staff lounge catered onigiri, wondering if this would be one of the last few things she'd be eating from this place for a while.

Wrinkling his brow, Naruto strode right up to the object of his fancy and pulled out a chair next to the Uchiha. Unceremoniously plopping down right beside him.

"How long has he been here?" He said to no one in particular, keeping his expression neutral and his gaze focused solely on Sasuke.

Neji sighed before putting his chopsticks down on the table, "Since two fifteen."

Mouth dropping open, Naruto stared awestruck at the smug looking Uchiha. "You taught for only fifteen minutes?"

"Twelve to be precise," he answered with a decadent flare, "Took me three minutes to walk here."

"So, the _only_ reason you came _so_ early was t-" Naruto suddenly stopped short, biting his tongue as he slowly came to the realization that he had everyone in room's undivided attention, "Uh..."

"Don't hesitate on our behalf, Naruto," Ino lowered her lids devilishly, opening them slowly to give her eyes a sultry sparkle, "Go on."

Turning a bright shade of strawberry red, Naruto blinked twice, mind racing a mile a minute in vain to try to save himself from his current predicament.

"I...Uh..."

Stretching his hand across the table, Sasuke artfully swiped a piece of sushi off of Neji's plate and shoved it into the blonde's wide open mouth before another word could be said.

Neji glowered, lips coming to form a line as he looked at Sasuke with a mass amount of disapproval. "I was eating that."

The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders, then stretched out his arm again and grabbed Neji's wooden chopsticks. Opening them he quickly picked up a piece of sashimi and shoved it into Neji's mouth.

"Now you're eating that," Sasuke said smugly, listening to the choking sounds coming from the coughing Hyuga. Like hell was he going to let himself be the talk of every table gathering. He rubbed his neck tiredly and glanced back at his blonde. Naruto had wisely chosen to chew his piece of sushi slowly, thus removing himself from further conversation. Sasuke smiled inwardly. Last semester had been hell on earth with the constant embarrassments and fighting. Not to mention his inner turmoil. His eyes softened as Naruto threw him a thankful glance, blue eyes filled with relief. Yes, last semester had been hell but there was one good thing he'd gotten out of it.

"Naruto," Gaara called as he entered the staff lounge, "We've got a meeting with the Department Head in five, you forget?"

In the traditional Uzumaki fashion, Naruto jumped straight from his seat, tumbling his chair in the process as he ran towards the door.

Shaking his head of autumn red hair, Gaara pushed the door open further to let the blundering blonde through. With one apologetic look in Sasuke's direction, he firmly closed the door.

Neji, Ino and Tenten exchanged knowing glances, small secretive smiles forming on their faces as they turned to spy on Sasuke.

The Uchiha was quietly staring at the door, a pensive expression adorning his countenance.

"Bet you ten bucks I know what he's thinking about," Ino whispered to her two companions.

"That wouldn't be very hard to detect," Neji scoffed, rubbing his thumb against the bottom of his chin, "It's Naruto. You can only ever read him when he's thinking about Uzumaki."

"Bet you he's picturing him naked," Tenten smirked, taking another bite out of her rice ball.

Ino wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and whispered in a sing song voice, "Bet you he's thinking about doing it."

"Bet I can kill all of you and make it look like an accident," came Sasuke's penetrating voice from across the table.

All three heads snapped up to find the Uchiha glaring finely sharpened daggers at them. Swallowing thickly they all blurted apologies before remembering they each had somewhere to be. As the door to the staff lounge swung closed on their heels, Sasuke leaned back in his chair, long black lashes joining together as he closed his eyes. Then with the trademark Uchiha smirk spread across his face, Sasuke said aloud, "Naked and strapped to my bed actually. With whipped cream in all my favorite places, and a cluster of juicy purple grapes in his mouth."

* * *

**(1) Sweatered is now a word. Why you ask? Because I said so.  
**

**And that's a wrap for chapter 16.**

**Now, as promised, here is our lucky guest star, TAYUYA!**

"**Fuck off," Tayuya gripes, folding her arms across her chest and blowing a lock of hair out of her face.**

"**What did I do?" Author asks innocently.**

**Tayuya's eyebrows angle downwards in a menacing fashion, "What did you do? I'm fucking taking shit from Kabuto!"**

"**Oh."**

"**What the hell is wrong with you?" Tayuya reaches up and pulls the nightingale cap off her head, "And this? Why the fucking hell am I a nurse? Do I look like the healing type? I kill people, FOR A LIVING!"**

"**Geez," Author grumbles, "If you didn't want to be in my story, all you had to do was tell me."**

"**No!" Tayuya cuts in immediately, a nervous look about her, "That's not what I meant. I-I just want to be someone who get's shit done, you know? Kick's ass. That kind of stuff."**

"**Mmm no," Author shakes her head, "You're staying a blackmailed nurse."**

"**No!"**

"**Tell you what," Author folds her arms, "If over fifty people review…I'll give you your kickass moment, okay?"**

"**Are you bullshitting me?" Tayuya cries, "Fifty? That's fucking crazy!"**

"**Suit yourself," Author shrugs her shoulders, "Wanna be kickass?"**

"**Yes."**

"**Then you know what to do."**

**Tayuya grabs the cameraman, effortlessly separating him from his recording device. Training the lens on her face, she stares into the camera. "Review! Or it's your funeral."**

**Thank you all for being so supportive!**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**

**Until next time,**

**Smartcat ****=^,.,^=**


	17. Deals A Deal

**Hello…yes…um…it's me…Smartcat.**

**Hehe..**

**Remember me?**

**So sorry to have kept you guys in the dark for such a long time. I just couldn't find any free time to write until finals were over. But now they are! So I plan to write as much as I can during this time.**

**I think I have mentioned this before, but this story is supposed to be thirty chapters long. So to those of you who think I have no idea what I'm doing…that is not the case. I know exactly what's happening here :D**

**Also, I have made a twitter account (link to it on my profile page). Just to keep you guys in the loop, and let you know that I have not forgotten. I made it specifically for fanfiction. So all my updates and new story memos will be going up there. FOLLOW ME THERE!**

***IMPORTANT*-I'm going to try to push out as many chapters as I can during the break. But that all depends on you guys. I need to know you're still with me on this. Let me know by leaving a review, or sending me a PM! If I know you guys want it, it will invigorate me and make me want to write and push chapters out. Supply and Demand people :)  
**

* * *

Chapter 17: Deals A Deal

With her head hovering inches over the toilet bowl, Sakura gave one last heave and emptied the morning's contents of her stomach. Honestly, there wasn't much to up heave as she had yet to break this morning's unwarranted fast. Grumbling lowly from the depths of her throat, Sakura leaned her rather large forehead against the porcelain side of her bathtub, letting its cool exterior press against her heated skin. Absentmindedly she let her hand stroke the growing baby bump, fingers moving in a circular pattern as she thought.

It was already the last week of January, and she was already finding it difficult to hide the obvious increase of her belly. Wearing baggy sweaters and skirts were her last resort if she wanted to keep this secret a little longer. It was only a matter of time, a few weeks even, before people would start talking. Sure, she could choose to say that she had put on a little weight over the break. But what happens when the bump becomes as large as a mammoth? When denying pregnancy was out of the option?

Slowly Sakura stood to her feet, supporting herself first by holding onto the rim of the toilet and then the counter. As both hands came to grip at the corners, mint green eyes lifted to stare into a mirrored reflection. Staring at herself, Sakura unhurriedly turned the chrome knobs of the sink and let the water rush out. The sound of running water oddly helped soothe her upset stomach. Sticking her cupped palms under the rushing spray, Sakura splashed the water into her face, letting the cold liquid rejuvenate her in a most refreshing way.

When she was finished, she grabbed for a towel and slowly wiped her face. Her mind though was still trying to reason with the many thoughts running rampant through her head. With one in particular, echoing rather loudly.

_"Naruto bought you a ring."_

_"A ring?"_

_"An engagement ring to be exact." _

_"Why the hell did he do that?" _

_"I think you bringing up the promise he made you played a significant role in his decision. Now what you need to do is convince him that you don't want to marry him."_

_"Yes, of course. I will do that right now."_

_"Not now, Sakura….later."_

_"Why?"_

_"If you do it now, he'll be suspicious."_

_"…Alright, I'll do it when the spring semester starts up. That should give him enough time to develop his own relationship and let this promise take a backseat."_

Neji's words repeated in her head like a broken record. Constantly repeating the conversation they had shared over and over again. With a soulful sigh, Sakura stepped out of the bathroom and ran a pale hand through her locks of bubblegum pink hair.

Today.

She would tell him today.

:::

Naruto sipped from his coffee cup as he watched Sasuke work the espresso machine. One blonde eyebrow arched artfully when two brilliant blue eyes witnessed Sasuke adding a splash of milk into his brew. Schooling his facial expression, Naruto waited for the Uchiha to take a seat beside him.

"Hn."

Wrinkling his nose, the blonde threw his boyfriend a dirty look. "I didn't say anything, bastard."

The raven smirked before taking a sip of his coffee, "You didn't need to, it's written all over your face."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto spoke, his voice laced with challenge, "How?"

"Well," Sasuke leaned back in his seat, "You looked constipated when I turned around an –"

"How do you know I'm _not_ constipated?"

"If you were," Sasuke continued without any hindrance, "You wouldn't be here. Hell, you'd have flown to the bathroom so fast we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Turning an embarrassing shade of red, Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, eyes suddenly finding interest in the flooring, "Heh…you're probably right."

"You're predictable."

"Am not!"

"You are."

"Am not!"

"Are."

"Oh god," Temari grumbled, lowering her bagel down on its napkin and giving her boyfriend a seriously chilling look, "You said this would be over!" She hissed across the table.

Shikamaru glanced up at Temari, boredom displayed as clearly as day on his ever expressive face, "What would be over?"

The blonde haired physics professor motioned to the bickering couple on the left side of the table, her displeasure evident.

"They do seem to be fighting," Hinata agreed morosely, her eyes shifting from Naruto to Sasuke then to Shikamaru.

"Sue me," Shikamaru grumbled, folding his arms across his chest, "Those two couldn't stop fighting even if their lives depended on it."

"But you said they would stop!"

"Well they did," Shikamaru growled, "That is, to a degree."

"Just because I wanted to know why you added milk to your coffee, doesn't mean that I am _watching_ your every move, bastard!" Naruto's voice rose, causing the occupants of the staff lounge to flinch.

"You really are a moron." Sasuke grit out, "Stop misinterpreting everything I say!"

"Then just tell me!"

"It's none of your damned business!"

"Asshole!"

"…"

"Damn it, bastard. What are you thinking?" Naruto furrowed his eyebrows at the sudden lecherous expression that overcame Sasuke's face.

Looking up from behind a curtain of ebony black bangs, the Uchiha licked his lips suggestively.

Frowning, Naruto tilted his head, trying to discern what could have possibly turned _his_ bastard into a mute.

Smirking, Sasuke leaned closer to his blonde, "You have a very nice asshole."

"I'm gonna be sick," Kiba clapped his hands over his ears, his voice immediately causing both boys to turn their heads in his direction.

Always trying to be the good friend, Kiba had taken it upon himself to break up the fight. So leaving his warm seat on the couch beside Lee, the Biology professor had intended to try and make peace between the two warring lovers. He had barely been three steps away when his tender ears were assaulted by words he wouldn't dare repeat.

Now, standing in the middle of the room, Kiba had his eyes shut tight as his mouth moved a mile a minute, spewing nonsense of all sort just to make enough sound to drown out the words that had spilled from Sasuke's mouth.

Thinking he was absolutely going to die from embarrassment, Naruto's cheeks turned fire truck red as his eyes tried to find something to focus on. Even Sasuke felt a little flame rise in his face at being overheard. One technically didn't like it when those who weren't supposed to be privy to a conversation suddenly overheard something…quite naughty.

The door to the staff lounge creaked open and in walked Sakura, bright and smiling. "Good Morning!"

"Morning!" Everyone echoed back, trying to dispel the awkward feel in the room.

Behind her shuffled in a glum looking Gaara with deep circles under his eyes. A yawn escaped his lips before he mumbled a 'good morning' to everyone. A lock of blood red hair fell into his eyes as he trudged across the floor to take a seat beside Naruto.

The blonde shot him a good natured smile, "Morning, Gaara."

"Morning," the jade eyed man mumbled, yawning once more.

Pursing his lips, Sasuke sat back in his seat and continued to nurse his cup of coffee as the two English professors exchanged pleasantries. His eyes decided to rove over the room, assessing each and every human being present. Neji sat beside Shino with a cup of black coffee; the two men neither speaking nor making any attempt at appearing social. Beside them were Sai and Tenten, each choosing to spend their time stuffing their cheeks like squirrels with the assortment of carbohydrates supplied by the University.

As the clock on the wall struck a quarter to nine, half the occupants in the room turned to stare at it with innumerous amounts of loathing. Chairs squeaked against the floor as a few bodies stood. Kiba, uncharacteristically, was the first out the door.

Holding back a snort, Sasuke stood as well and rolled his head to the side, cracking his neck. The sense of his joints aligning gave him a satisfied feeling as he turned to walk towards the door. Naruto and Gaara had stood from their seats too. Both professors continuing their discussion which had turned from simple small talk to work related issues.

"Two months to write an eight page research paper is more than enough," Gaara grumbled, "The lot should be thanking me for my generosity."

Naruto winced, "But Gaara, they have other classes to worry about as well. Don't you think extending the due date…maybe adding two weeks would be more reasonable?"

"No."

_Well he sure as hell has no qualms about making the students suffer,_ Naruto thought stiffly. _Heck, I don't want my students bending backwards just for this paper. _They had to have the same due date and Gaara was being unnecessarily difficult.

"What's your problem, Gaara?" Naruto asked, keeping his tone in check as they walked out the door, "You're being an ass."

The redhead turned, fire flashing through the usually clear emerald eyes. "I have no problem, Naruto."

"Hey, Naruto!" Sakura tapped the blonde on the shoulder, trying earnestly to get his attention before he traveled on further.

Blue eyes switched their focus for a minute, "Hold on, Sakura." Turning back to Gaara, he puffed his chest slightly, hands going in his pockets, "Then why won't you extend the deadline? The rest of the professors teaching this course want too."

"Because two weeks won't make much of a difference."

"To the students it will!"

Gaara tensed. "Well I don't give a shit."

"What the fuck, Gaara?"

Sakura sucked in her cheeks, relenting to the fact that speaking to Naruto now when he was obviously distracted wasn't a good idea. Shaking her head, she slowly left the two men and continued towards her office. She had still to gather her materials for today's lecture presentation.

Naruto bristled, grabbing Gaara by the sleeve and pulling him to the side to keep their discussion more private. "What's going on?"

The redhead shrugged off the hand and turned his gaze away, intent on continuing towards his classroom.

"Hey!" Naruto growled, grabbing at Gaara again. "What's up with you?"

Green eyes burned as they stared into globes of crystal blue. Gaara's jaw tightened visibly as the redhead tried to control the raging emotions within him.

"Nothing."

Naruto let go of his friend's arm and crossed his own over his chest, "Not buying that load of bull."

Blowing out a breath of air, Gaara's eyes softened at the edges as he leaned against the wall. "It's nothing…which is why it's a problem."

The blank look on Naruto's face reminded Gaara that one needed to dumb it down a bit for the blonde to understand.

"Remember when we got snowed in during our joined winter vacation?"

Naruto snorted, "How can I not? You lot took advantage of me and Sasuke."

"Technically," Gaara said in a low tone of voice, "But you didn't seem to have a problem with it…as I recall, _some_ of us had to cram three to a bed because you and Sasuke were 'taking advantage' of the situation."

"Okay! Okay!" Naruto got the message, "So what happened?"

"I…I…well…"

"You met someone?"

Gaara tilted his head, "Not…exactly."

"You hurt someone and now they're looking for you?"

The look that overcame the redhead's face had Naruto swallowing hard and stammering, "I-I..haha…j-joke, Gaara! Joke!"

"Oh." Gaara's murderous features disappeared to be replaced with his usual charm…or lack thereof.

"So," Naruto cleared his throat, "What is it?"

Gaara's eyes quickly scanned their surroundings before speaking, "Neji."

"What about him?"

"I want to fuck his brains out."

Naruto's eyes widened into melons, "You're gay?"

The redhead gave his ever loud and expressive friend a look of disbelief, "You didn't know?"

"No!" Naruto's mouth flapped.

"So when we fooled around in college…"

"I thought you were just fooling around!" Naruto squeaked, "So you were gay this whole time? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't think you were this big of an idiot," Gaara growled, "Honestly, you'd think someone with a PhD would be able to read between the lines…"

"Hey," Naruto shoved his finger into Gaara's chest, prodding, "I am _not_ an idiot."

"Could have fooled me."

"Shove it."

"Where?"

Instantly Naruto's cheeks reddened. Pushing Gaara away the blonde crossed his arms once more and tried to will away the signs of redness from his scarred cheeks.

Gaara sighed, hitting the back of his head against the wall purposefully, "But he's not gay…so life sucks."

"I'm not so sure," Naruto said thoughtfully, "After all, he did kiss me…but then again, that was part of your retarded plan to get me and Sasuke together."

"Which however retarded," Gaara added, "Worked."

"Yeah." Naruto smiled to himself, then looking up at his friend laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "You never know…maybe he's bi…"

"Maybe."

Glancing at his watch, Naruto swore, "Damn it. Class."

Nodding, Gaara watched the blonde shift his orange backpack on his shoulder and sprint down the hall like a school kid. Shaking his head, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and closed his eyes, pondering. "Maybe…"

:::

Sakura grit her teeth as she pushed her way through the overly crowded elevator filled with gum popping students, "Hold it!"

A couple college kids eyed her warily as she stumbled out the door before pressing the 'close' button on the elevator control panel. Taking a deep breath, Sakura turned her head to the right, looking for the mop of blonde hair she had spotted only seconds before.

There it was.

Spiky blonde hair attached to a face that most surely belonged to one Naruto Uzumaki.

"Naruto!"

Just about to turn the corner, Naruto glanced to the side and spotted Sakura waiving her hand so fiercely he feared with that much movement, it would surely rip off. Nonetheless he smiled brightly and waited for her to catch up to him. All his classes had finished for the day, so he wasn't in any hurry.

"Hey!" She said warmly after stepping in stride with him, "What's up?"

The blonde shrugged his shoulders, "Not much, was just going to the diner a couple of blocks away to grab some food."

"Mind if I join you?"

Shaking his head, Naruto grinned, "Not a bit. In fact, I'd like to have some company." Smile fading slightly he added, "Sasuke bastard was supposed to join me, but apparently he has 'paper work' to do."

Sakura laughed, "Trust me, he'd rather be doing you, than paperwork."

Naruto colored, "Sakura!"

"Well it _is_ true."

"Doesn't mean you should say it!" Naruto glanced around to make sure they hadn't been overheard. He'd been embarrassed _way_ too many times today.

As they walked out of the building, Naruto glanced up at the indigo sky. The air was crisp and cold enough to make him burrow his chin deeper into the scarf encompassing his neck. Sakura stuffed her gloved hands into her pockets and stomped her feet as they walked towards her car.

"It looks like it's going to snow," Naruto said once they had entered the small car and blasted the heat.

"Wonderful," the rosette said darkly, "More snow scraping for me."

They drove to the small diner in compatible silence, each lost in his or her own personal thoughts. Upon arrival, Naruto got out of the car and rushed into the small restaurant, eager to grab a good table by the window. Sakura took her time stepping into the small establishment. The weather was unfit for dillydallying but at that moment, Sakura didn't care in the slightest. Finally, taking a deep breath, she pushed the diner door open and stepped inside, face instantly swashed by the lovely heat. Glancing at her cell she noted that it was a quarter past six. Sighing, she put it back in her pocket and went to join the boisterous blonde.

They took part in some idle chitchat while they waited for their specials to be brought. Sakura ate a breadstick while Naruto swore her to secrecy before divulging his little bit of news about Gaara.

"No way!" The jade eyed woman screeched.

"I know!" Naruto said just as enthusiastically, "It's crazy!" Pausing, he shook his head, "Not the being gay part, the Neji lusting part!"

"But doesn't Neji have a thing with Tenten?" Sakura said before taking a large bite of the bread, "I saw them together a couple of times."

Naruto shrugged, "That I don't know."

"They did hook up during that ski vacation we all took."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, "But that was because of a dare."

"So?" Sakura blinked, "Your point?"

"It doesn't make Neji gay."

"Well maybe that kiss could have been a life altering one," Sakura pressed, "You should ask him!"

"Me?" Naruto gaped, "Why do I have to ask him? Why can't _you_ ask him?"

"Because you two are closer," Sakura retorted expertly, "He's bound to share something of that nature with you, given your circumstances."

"Circumstances?"

"The Gay."

Naruto looked at her with confusion, "The what?"

"The gay." Sakura repeated, "You know? You're gay, Gaara's gay, you're all gay." Stopping short, Sakura scrunched her brow, "Hell, why are you all gay?"

"I'm not gay," Naruto hissed in clarification, "I'm bisexual. There's a difference."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "To me there isn't. You like playing the part of the woman during sex."

"How do you know it's me and not Sasuke?" Naruto pointed out, not realizing how embarrassing this conversation was starting to be. "Maybe _I_ am the one giving it to him?"

"Oh I highly doubt that," Sakura snickered, _"Ah, Sasuke! Harder, harder! Please, ah!"_

The color drained right out of the blonde's face.

"Your room at the hotel wasn't as soundproof as you thought," She smirked, "Dumbass."

Covering his face with his hands, Naruto mumbled, "Did you all hear?"

Pretty much," Sakura nodded, taking another bite.

"Ugh," Naruto groaned, "I want to just die."

"Aw," Sakura grinned, "Now where would be the fun in that?"

"Your food, miss," the waitress said, putting down two large plates fill with mashed potatoes, grilled chicken breast and creamed corn.

"So you'll ask him?" Sakura spoke as her eyes roved over her dinner plate hungrily.

"No," Naruto said, still hiding his face, "I'll have Sasuke do it. Just drop me off at the campus."

"Okay."

Peeking out from behind his hands, Naruto eyed the food. All previous embarrassment was forgotten as he grabbed his fork and began shoving the potatoes into his mouth.

An hour passed and the two continued to chat, finding everything and nothing to gossip about. In all honesty, Sakura found herself pushing off telling Naruto about the ring. Not because she wanted him all to herself, but because she found herself at a loss about how exactly to bring it up. But now they were up to dessert, and time was of the essence.

"This is really fun," Naruto smiled, "We should do this more often."

"Naruto?"

The blonde looked up from his dessert, eyes warm and inviting, "Yeah?"

"There's been something I've really wanted to talk to you about."

Forking another piece of chocolate cake into his mouth, Naruto grinned, "What about?"

Taking a deep breath, Sakura breached the subject, "The promise."

Every muscle in Naruto's body froze, the empty fork hovering just centimeters over the porcelain plate. The grin that was only moments ago shining brightly on the blonde's face was gone. In its place was a mouth formed into a frown.

"I made you a promise," Naruto spoke quietly, finally letting the fork down, "And I do not go back on my word, I am ready whenever you are."

"Damn it," Sakura rubbed at her eyes, "I know that…and I also know you bought a ring."

"How?" Naruto asked, truly shocked.

"Kiba saw it in your drawer."

"Oh," Naruto rubbed his thighs, "Well that just goes to show that I have no intention of backing out."

"What about Sasuke?" Sakura inquired, folding her arms across her chest, "You like him a lot, don't you?"

Naruto stayed quiet, not trusting himself to speak about the raven haired Uchiha.

"Would he be alright with this?" She motioned between them, "What if I said I wanted to get married now?"

Fear flashed in Naruto's face and Sakura saw it all. The worry, the duty of keeping his word, everything.

"I-I met someone," she lied, "A really nice guy."

"Really," Naruto asked quietly, "Where?"

"At…a bar," she fabricated on the spot, "About a month ago."

Naruto nodded, "And?"

"And," Sakura licked her lips nervously, "I want you to drop the promise you made to me."

The blonde stayed silent like the dead.

"I don't love you like that, Naruto." She said, "And from what I can see, you and Sasuke are getting along rather well. It's obvious to any onlooker that the two of you care about one another."

Silence.

"I'm really starting to like this guy," Sakura continued, her nerves on the verge of frying, "He's really interesting and I don't want there to be cheating happening on my end, so Naruto," Sakura took another deep breath, "I am dumping you."

One blonde eyebrow shot upward, "You're dumping me?"

"Yes," she nodded her head, and then looked up at him with a smile, "I'm dumping you. Our whirlwind of a romance has now ended."

A small chuckle escaped Naruto's throat.

"You've been cheating on me long enough," Sakura grinned, "I cannot let this go on any longer. This irrationality must cease to be!"

Naruto laughed.

Inwardly Sakura heaved a sigh of relief, thanking god silently for his small yet oh so helpful intervention. There was no doubt in her mind that help had been received through…well, unusual means. Maybe it was the wine Naruto drank? Hell, she didn't care. Naruto was sitting in front of her laughing good naturedly.

"Return that ring, Naruto." She lifted her fork and stole a bit of his chocolate cake, "I won't be needing it."

Naruto rested his cheek in the palm of his hand and shook his head, "Can't do that."

"And why not?" The green eyed rosette demanded, wondering maybe if her overly dramatic and lying ass had screwed up once again.

"No returns."

"Well that sucks," Sakura soured, "Then sell it on ebay!"

"Ebay?"

"Yeah," Sakura nodded, "Maybe someone will buy it."

Naruto shook his head, "How about I just give it to you anyway. Then you can do whatever you like with it."

Sakura frowned.

"No strings attached," Naruto promised.

Sakura smiled, "Alright."

After finishing off Naruto's dessert, the two paid for their meals and made a dash for Sakura's car. Once inside with the heat blasting, Sakura turned to Naruto.

"You still want me to drop you off at the University?"

The blonde nodded. For some reason, he just couldn't wait to see Sasuke. It might have been because of the huge load just taken off his shoulders, or the fact that he could now completely throw himself at his boyfriend without having that gnawing promise taunting him from behind a corner in his brain.

Hell, he didn't care.

He just desperately wanted to see that bastard of an Uchiha.

As they drove onto campus, Naruto thanked Sakura for the ride and sprinted towards the Arts and Science's Building. Glancing at his watch he smiled inwardly, _a quarter past eight and the bastard is still doing paperwork._ Swiping his identification card, Naruto all but ran towards the elevators.

The halls were devoid of students and teachers alike. Only a few living bodies roamed the corridors, those being the janitors and security staff. As the elevator doors opened up revealing the mathematics department, Naruto all but dashed out into the dimly lit hallway. His eyes scanning the names on the doors until they finally stopped at a closed one, with the light still spilling out from beneath it. Not even bothering to knock, Naruto grabbed the door knob and turned it, entering the room.

Sasuke look up from his desk, a tired expression on his face as he took in the sight of Naruto, cheeks and nose red from the winter wind.

"Dobe?" Sasuke questioned as he watched Naruto throw off his hat and scarf, "What are you doing here?"

With the jacket being the only thing left to remove, Naruto pulled down the zipper and threw it on the floor. Then, with a hungry look in his eye, the blonde quickly made his way around Sasuke's desk and grabbed the chair his boyfriend was sitting in. Turning it towards himself, he pushed a knee between Sasuke's legs and captured the Uchiha's mouth in a searing kiss.

Surprised but nonetheless pleased by the sudden change, Sasuke smirked and cupped the wonderfully smooth chin belonging to his lover, thus parting his lips. With his tongue snaking within the walls of his treasure trove, the Uchiha did not bother to ask why Naruto had suddenly thrown his prior convictions out the window. After all, he was all for it. Having sex on his desk was a personal fantasy, which with the way things were going, could turn out to be quite the reality.

Hands coming to work the buttons holding Naruto's shirt together, he deepened the kiss by thrusting his tongue further into the younger man's mouth. A moan escaped from deep within the blonde as Sasuke fervidly pushed their tongues together.

Groaning once more, Naruto popped open the first two buttons of Sasuke's shirt and began enthusiastically attacking the exposed pale neck. Eyes closing with a flutter of the lids, the Uchiha focused on the delicious flares of heat shooting out from every pore in his body.

"I want you," Naruto breathed against Sasuke's throat, taking the moon kissed skin into his mouth with a delightful suck. Then releasing it slowly, he brought his lips right to Sasuke's ear and whispered, "To fuck me as hard as you can, right now."

Sasuke's lids shot open, revealing heavily dilated black pupils. His grip on the blonde tightened as eyes locked with those of crystal blue.

Lip trembling ever so slightly, Sasuke cleared his throat. Trying to attain at least an ounce of decorum, "I don't suppose you have any lube in that jacket of yours?"

Naruto shook his head, his eyes however remaining transfixed on those of shadow black.

"You want me to g –?"

"I can take it," Naruto cut him off before the other could finish. Grinning, the blonde pushed himself further onto Sasuke's lap, "Or are you not man enough for it, Uchiha?"

Well, that decided it.

"Hn."

:::

Kabuto tiredly packed the newly synthesized fifty-two grams of Ketamine into a plastic bag and rubbed his brow. Glancing at his wristwatch he sighed in annoyance, _a quarter to nine and I'm still stuck in this shit hole._ Throwing a dirty look at the bag in his hand, the young chemist tied it off at the end and stuck it in his lab coat pocket. He would put it into Orochimaru's office later, first he had to take the Motor Driven Centripetal Force Apparatus back to the Physics lab.

As he walked over to the bulky metal contraption he inwardly sighed once more, feeling more like an errand boy for his senior than an actual teaching assistant.

"What the fuck did he need this for anyway?" Kabuto griped, taking the first unit of the apparatus in one hand and the larger piece in the other. Then with an agitated exhalation, he walked out of the lab and marched towards the elevators. Face set in a look of annoyance only heightened by the skewed form his glasses took upon his face.

With thoughts plotting the somewhat bloody demise of his boss, Kabuto stepped off the elevator and strode towards the Physics lab, jamming his key into the lock and pushing the door open. After depositing his load, he turned to leave. As he was just about to step into the elevator, a noise caused him to pause. Frowning, he listened closer and heard it again, all though this time more clearly.

Curiosity getting the best of him, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and quietly walked down the hallway, in the direction he fathomed the sounds were coming from. A few feet away stood a door ajar with light spilling out from beneath it.

Kabuto could already feel the threads of impounding doom surrounding him, squeezing him tighter with every inhalation of breath he heard.

"_Anything yet?" Orochimaru asked as he read through a lab report, making marks in red upon the student's paper._

_Kabuto shook his head, "No."_

_Without much of a warning, he suddenly had Orochimaru's sickly pale hand grasping his chin in a viselike grip, with snakelike eyes boring into his as if reading the accounts of his soul. Not even allowing himself to swallow the suddenly large amount of saliva accumulating in his mouth, Kabuto stared back into his boss's eyes, not daring to even blink. _

"_Hm," was the only thing Kabuto heard as Orochimaru analyzed his face, searchingly. "You're not lying."_

"_No."_

"_So Sasuke and Naruto have been keeping their hands to themselves."_

"_Yes..."_

_Letting go of Kabuto's jaw, Orochimaru went back to his seat, "Continue to watch then, Kabuto."_

"_Yes," Kabuto said as he fixed the askew glasses on his face._

"_Oh and Kabuto," Orochimaru said as he continued to read the contents of the student's lab report._

"_Yes?"_

"_Make sure you don't lie to me." Glancing up from his work, Orochimaru smiled cruelly, "Because I will be able to tell."_

Pulling his cell phone from the depths of his pocket, Kabuto flipped it open.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto."

He pressed record.

* * *

**Things are definitely proceeding.**

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	18. Hearts Of Ramen

**I was thinking of maybe holding on to this chapter until Valentine's Day…but then, I thought you guys might kill me. So here it is. Long and quite eventful, if you ask me.**

**BTW, thank you for helping me pass my goal of 700 reviews! You guys rock!**

**Warning: Lemon on the horizon**

* * *

Chapter 18: Hearts Of Ramen

Shikamaru and Kiba pulled into the staff parking lot early in the morning. With an eye watering yawn, Kiba pushed the side door open and stepped out.

"Damn," he mumbled as another yawn followed the first, "This is becoming a very bad habit."

"What?" Shikamaru asked dryly as he too stepped out of the car, "Your yawning?"

"No," Kiba tiredly said, his eyes trained at a parking spot a few feet away, "That."

Following Kiba's line of sight, Shikamaru furrowed his brow as he watched Sasuke and Naruto emerge from a sleek black vehicle.

"They are dating, Kiba." Shikamaru rolled his eyes and pocketed his keys, "He was bound to start sleeping over more than once a week."

"Yeah," Kiba interjected, "But it doesn't have to be almost every day!"

"It isn't."

"Well it feels like it is!"

Shikamaru sighed, remembering one particular morning he had come to wake both Kiba and Naruto for work. "Kiba?"

"What?" The overly loud Biologist whined.

"Are you gay?"

A fist in the face was what Shikamaru received.

"Fuck no!" Kiba screeched, "What the hell, Shika?"

Nursing his throbbing jaw, Shikamaru bent down and scooped some snow off the sidewalk and held it to his face, "Should have thought that one through more thoroughly," he grumbled to himself.

"Seriously," Kiba puffed, "What in the world gave you that idea?"

"Then I suppose it's a man crush," Shikamaru surmised, disregarding the outraged Inuzuka standing a few feet away.

"Man crush?" Chocolate brown eyes narrowed, "Now see here, Nara. I do not have a man crush!"

"Ah, I see," Shikamaru nodded as he started walking towards the administrative building, "So then it's completely normal to have a wet dream about your best friend who happens to be of the same sex."

Ducking just in time to avoid another punch from Kiba, Shikamaru hightailed into the building leaving Kiba standing outside in the lot. Fingers now nearly numb from holding the snow, Shikamaru wiped his hand against his jacket before shoving it deep into his pocket.

"Now wait a minute, Nara!" Kiba called, running into the building.

Turning, Shikamaru gave the other man a skeptical look.

"I did not have a wet dream about Naruto."

Shikamaru smirked, "Never said it was about Naruto."

Kiba paused, realizing his mistake.

Without another second's thought, he grabbed Shikamaru by the hood of his jacket and pulled him into the nearest men's room, locking the door.

"I can explain."

Nodding his head, Shikamaru agreed, "I thought you might."

Biting his lip, Kiba began to pace, "I'm not gay."

"Okay."

"I like girls."

"Alright," Shikamaru said, "So why were you humping Naruto in your sleep?"

"I DID WHAT?"

"Humping," Shikamaru demonstrated by thrusting his hips, "You. Naruto."

"Oh my god," Kiba covered his face with his hands, "Does he know?"

"Naruto?"

"Y-yeah."

"No," Shikamaru shook his head, "He can sleep through just about anything."

"Thank god," Kiba was all but hyperventilating. "Shit, I don't know why this is happening to me."

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, "I had a theory…but it kind of flew out the window when Choji told me he was going to ask Ino to marry him."

"What was it?" Kiba asked desperately.

"Well," Shikamaru pursed his lips, "It's kind of idiotic now that I think about it…must have been drunk when I came up with it…"

"…And?"

Sighing, the younger man rocked on his heels, "Remember when we were all little and you, Naruto and Choji ate glue?"

"…Yeah."

"I thought it could have been that."

Kiba blinked, "You thought eating glue made us gay?"

Shikamaru bristled like a porcupine, "I told you it was stupid."

"But Sasuke never ate any glue, and he's more homosexual than Naruto!"

"Sasuke did eat it," Shikamaru said, "Just so Naruto would stop bothering him about it. You don't remember?"

"No!"

"Doesn't matter," Shikamaru sighed, "And you don't think you're gay?"

"I'm eighty-five percent sure."

Shikamaru stopped his rocking, "What about the other fifteen percent?"

Kiba bit his lip nervously, "That's where I filed my wet dreams and _bad_ thoughts."

"Bad thoughts?"

The older man nodded vehemently, "_Very_ bad."

"Hm."

"So what do I have?" Kiba asked anxiously.

Closing his eyes, Shikamaru put his hands together in what everyone recognized as his deep thinking mode. Seeing this, Kiba ran a shaky hand through his hair and leaned against the tiled wall.

A few minutes later, Shikamaru was staring at Kiba with a calculating gaze.

"Well?"

"My personal opinion?"

"No," Kiba snapped sarcastically, "The toilets!"

"There's no need to snap at me," Shikamaru said sharply, "You're the one with the problem."

"So it is a problem!"

"Shut up, Inuzuka!" Shikamaru growled, "And just fucking listen for a second!"

Doing just that, Kiba tightened his lips and focused his whole attention on the man with the Psychology degree.

"I think this is an extension of a man crush."

The blank face Kiba displayed showed Shikamaru he needed to further explain.

"Naruto likes both men and women, he doesn't really have a preference, right?"

"Yeah," Kiba agreed.

"But," Shikamaru continued, "We mostly saw him attracted to men, correct?"

"Yes."

"Now, because you knew that, your brain decided that if you liked Naruto, you had to like him in a way he'd find appealing. So instead of having a normal man crush, which consists of wanting to do everything and be around the object of your obsession, you pushed the envelope further. You wanted to do everything, be everything to him…thus the wet dreams."

Kiba scratched his head, "I don't get it."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled, "Since Naruto is gayish, you wanted to be gayish with him because you for some reason idolize him. Get it?"

"I don't idolize Naruto!" Kiba said, eyes widened, "He's just a very good friend!"

"You wanted him to think of you as his most important person!"

"What?"

"Oh for the love of god," Shikamaru rolled his eyes upwards, "Why did I ever bring this up?"

"Shikamaru!" Kiba whined.

Thus then Shikamaru spent a better part of his morning break explaining to Kiba, the stupidity of his Inuzuka brain.

:::

"ACHOO!"

"Bless you, Naruto!" Lee said for the fifth time.

"Damn it, dobe," Sasuke flicked the blonde in the forehead, "You better not be sick."

Naruto shot his boyfriend a dirty look, "Why? Too lazy to take care of me if I am?"

The Uchiha gave the blonde a scolding glance, "No, idiot." Taking a sip of his coffee, Sasuke swallowed before leaning over and whispering tenderly into his lover's ear, "I just don't want it screwing up my plans."

A sly grin worked its way onto Naruto's face, "Plans?"

Wrinkling his nose, Sasuke effortlessly smacked the blonde upside the head. "If I have to _spell_ it out for you, dobe...then there won't _be_ _any_ plans."

Cringing from the throbbing at the base of his skull, Naruto rubbed his head all the while shooting the Uchiha dirty looks. "Damn it, bastard. Can't you at least _try_ and pretend that there's at least one romantic bone in your body? Valentine's Day _is _only a week away."

"I don't need to pretend," the Uchiha stated. Then just as unexpectedly, leaned over towards Naruto's side and placed a full mouthed kiss on the blonde's lips.

"Damn it, Sasuke!"

Both Naruto and Sasuke turned to find three pairs of eyes looking at them sourly.

Neji smirked and held out his hand to Gaara, Tenten and Kankuro. The trio unwillingly each fished out a five dollar bill and handed it to the winner of the wager.

"I hope you choke on it," Tenten said darkly.

"Now, Tenten," Neji's velvety voice sung, "No one likes a sore loser."

"You two couldn't wait another half hour?" Kankuro griped as he folded his arms across his chest, "I would have won!"

"Nonethless my timeslot had beaten yours," Neji turned around as he pocketed his winnings, "First kiss of the day would be between seven thirty and eight fifteen."

Sasuke grunted in amusement as he watched the color of Naruto's face change. The blonde's hands tightened into fists as he stood from his chair.

"Do the lot of you have nothing better to do with your lives?" He yelled, cheeks matching the apple Shino sat munching in the corner. "You're seriously betting on when we kiss?"

Coming in to hear only the end of Naruto's rant, Sai grinned, promptly joining the conversation.

"Not only on the kissing," Sai walked over to the blonde, putting his hands on Naruto's shoulders knowingly. "But also when the two of you will ha-"

Kankuro clamped his hand over Sai's mouth before the lecherous art instructor single handedly brought all hell upon them. Gulping, he chanced a glance at Sasuke, his main (and honestly) only concern.

The Uchiha sat in his chair with his arms crossed, eyebrows angled in a downwards manner. The throbbing vein on the left side of his forehead let Kankuro know he had roughly thirty seconds to get out of the staff lounge before the Uchiha got hold of him and turned him into a strung up wooden puppet.

"Would you look at that?" He glanced at the wall clock, "Seven forty-five...I've got a class in fifteen minutes. Bye!" Walking as fast as he could to the door, Kankuro swung it open and dashed out, leaving only the quickly fading footsteps as evidence of his speedy departure. From the comforts of his corner, Shino smirked from amidst his turtleneck and took another bite of his apple.

Neji sighed, having no doubt that Sasuke would rather sit on his bum than chase the Subaku sibling down the hall. Turning to Gaara, he gave the redhead a reassuring look. "Want some coffee?"

Gaara nodded and so the two walked over to the coffee machine while Lee tried to hold the fort, futilely trying to stop Naruto and Sasuke's bickering. Tenten, seeing that the immediate danger wasn't a threat, went back to her breakfast.

"Those two have become quite inseparable," Neji murmured as he grabbed a clean cup from the stack. "Though the PDA I could do without."

Gaara stoically moved closer to the long haired Hyuga. "Does it bother you?"

"No," Neji answered, grabbing the pot and pouring the liquid caffiene into his cup. "It's just getting annoying."

Licking his lips, Gaara grabbed a cup as well and held it out to Neji so the other could pour. "How so?"

"Well, it serves as a reminder that I am single and not getting any."

"Oh," Gaara nodded in understanding. "That I could relate to."

Lifting a brow, Neji added a splash of milk before turning his full attention back to Gaara, "Really?"

Shrugging, the redhead took a sip of his coffee and winced. Still too hot. "I'm single and not getting any either."

Smiling hesitantly, Neji tucked a few stray hairs behind his ear. He stirred the contents of his cup for a minute before turning back towards the redhead. "Hey, Gaara?"

"Yeah?"

Ebony eyes locked with jade causing Neji to swallow thickly. "I was wondering if yo-"

"Ah," Sai butted right in between the two conversing individuals, "Coffee smells wonderful."

The look Gaara gave the pale skinned man could have frozen hell over.

Murder danced in his eyes as he watched Sai grab a cup from the stack.

"Um, never mind," Neji murmured, taking his coffee and walking towards the table to join the others.

No. Murder was too good for the slimy snake.

If only he knew how to bring poeple back to life...he'd kill the cockblocker ten times. Each time being more painful than the last.

Yes.

Slow and painful.

Chuckling lowly, he grabbed his cup and marched out of the lounge.

Watching the redhead leave, Naruto stood from his seat and walked over to the oblivious Sai who was still humming to himself at the coffee counter.

"Um, Sai?"

Turning, the pale man smiled eerily, "Yes, dickless?"

Unable to hold back the grin, Naruto smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. "Gaara is going to kill you," he said in a singsong voice before returning to his seat.

Sai instantly paled.

Grabbing his coffee cup he raced out of the staff lounge, eager to get to his studio and lock himself in from whatever horrors Gaara had planned.

:::

"Now pay attention," Orochimaru turned to the board and rubbed the chalk between his fingers before beginning to write. "Here we have a six carbon ring…and attached to it on the third carbon we have an alcohol group." Orochimaru drew, "And another carbon with a triple bond attaching it to a Carbon Hydrogen pair."

Turning back to the class, he scanned the miserable faces of his students and inwardly smiled. "Can anyone tell me how to proceed further in this hydration process?"

The blank looks he received from the glazed eyes of his students caused him somewhat to falter. "Anyone?"

Not one brave soul raised their hand.

"Unbelievable," Orochimaru shook his head in disgust, "Not one person?"

Turning back to the board, the disgruntled Organic Chemistry professor drew a reaction arrow and wrote down the next step. "Mercury oxide…in sulfuric acid…and water…another alcohol group comes to bind to the carbon attached to the ring…breaking the triple bond."

"Ehm," Kabuto cleared his throat from the doorway, "Um, Professor?"

Turning his snakelike eyes on his teaching assistant, Orochimaru sighed as he saw the stack of graded exams in Kabuto's arms.

"Your exams, class." Orochimaru signaled Kabuto to distribute the tests back to their owners.

One by one the faces of his students fell; with each student looking more depressed than the next upon learning their achieved scores.

Konohamaru was no exception. His eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head as he read off his grade.

Forty-seven out of one hundred.

Fail.

"Aw shit," he grumbled weakly.

His grandfather wasn't going to like this.

Looking up from his exam, he chanced a glance at his professor.

Students before him had said that the man was as tough as nails…but his class _was_ passable. Swallowing haggardly he looked back at his test paper and winced.

There was so much red.

So much.

Maybe…if he went to talk to him?

Maybe see if there was anything he could do, like extra credit?

Starting off the semester with a forty-seven was not the best way to get into medical school. Cringing, Konohamaru put the exam in his bag as Kabuto dismissed the class. Today was Valentine's day…he'd go see Orochimaru tomorrow.

Moegi would kill him if he didn't deliver on his promise to take her out.

He shivered.

Yeah…he'd learned from last year.

Absentmindedly he rubbed his jaw as he walked out of the classroom, remembering the power behind Moegi's right hook.

:::

Naruto hummed to himself as he finished teaching his last class of the day. Thoughts of Sasuke filled his mind as he rode the elevator up to his office. What could the bastard have planned for Valentine's day?

He chuckled to himself.

Stepping off the elevator at his floor, the blonde glided towards his office to gather his things. Sasuke had already instructed him on what he was supposed to do.

"_Dobe," the Uchiha smirked before placing a chaste kiss on his lover's nose, "Just wait for me by the main entrance. I'll pick you up at six."_

"_Can't you just tell me what we're going to be doing?" Naruto whined halfheartedly._

"_Patience is obviously not one of your virtues, is it?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he directed his gaze towards a pair of cerulean eyes._

_The blonde blinked bemusedly, "Are we going to start picking at my flaws now?" Grinning, Naruto poked the Uchiha in the chest, "You happen to have quite a few I wouldn't mind delving into." _

_Losing the playful demeanor, Sasuke groaned and started making his way to his class. "Just be there at six, dobe."_

Licking his lips, Naruto glanced at his watch with anticipation. _Five fifty-seven, damn…three more minutes…_

Deciding he needed to kill some time, the blonde pulled out his cell phone and texted Sakura, wishing her a happy valentine's day. He was glad that she finally found someone. No doubt Sakura had told this 'secret man' of hers what had happened to her in the past.

Finally, there was a man who didn't run away from a little complication.

His phone buzzed within a few seconds with a response from Sakura, messaging him a warm greeting in return. He smiled and looked up at the ceiling, warmth spreading down to the tips of his toes.

"…I hope Sakura can find happiness," he whispered to himself. "God…I don't know if you can hear me…or whether you exist for that matter but…please, if you are there…make her wishes come true…"

The sound of a car horn jolted Naruto out of his thoughts. Outside waiting for him was Sasuke's shiny black car. Glancing at his watch, the blonde smiled to himself, _six o'clock right on the dot._

Leaving the building, Naruto dashed to Sasuke's car, shielding his ears from the biting winter wind.

"So," he said once situated, "What are we doing?"

Smirking, Sasuke turned the wheel, directing his car out of the parking lot. "You'll see."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto relaxed into his seat and tried practicing patience as Sasuke drove. He gazed out the window, noticing familiar landmarks.

Within a couple short minutes, he found himself staring at the building that had practically become a second home to him. Getting out of the car, he followed behind Sasuke as the Uchiha led him towards his apartment. Becoming more curious by the minute, Naruto barely managed to hold in his array of questions.

"It's inside," Sasuke said as he opened his door, letting Naruto in first.

Stepping inside into the darkness the blonde tried to make out the familiar shapes. Behind him Sasuke flipped on the light.

"I don't see anything." Naruto said, confused.

Smiling, Sasuke pulled off his coat. "In the kitchen."

Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto all but charged into Sasuke's kitchen, eyes hungry for information. Turning on the light, he was greeted by a bag of flour, two aprons and a single piece of paper with bold lettering.

"WE'RE MAKING RAMEN!"

Stepping in behind his dobe, Sasuke chuckled upon seeing the excited look on Naruto's face. "From scratch."

"From scratch?" Naruto licked his lips, throwing off his coat and grabbing the black apron. "Damn, this is so fucking awesome!"

Smirking, Sasuke walked over to his overly excited lover and pulled him backwards by the back of his collar, "Dobe?"

"Yeah?" Naruto grinned, eyes shining.

"Get your coat off my floor."

:::

"Naruto!" Sasuke growled after the blonde had spilled most of the flour he'd measured onto the floor, "The aim is to get it into the bowl!"

"Shut up!" Naruto growled back, "My hand slipped!"

"On what?"

"The oil!" Aggravated, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm and wiped his oily hands against the Uchiha.

Looking at his now overly shiny skin, Sasuke growled lowly from the base of his throat, "Ass."

"You love my ass," Naruto chimed.

Anger suddenly dispelling, Sasuke smiled, "That I do."

Inwardly grinning to himself, Naruto read off the next set of directions, "Okay…mix the dry stuff and make a well?"

Taking the printed out instructions from the blonde, Sasuke read it for himself. "Yeah… I guess a well means a little indent in the middle of the flour." Pursing his lips, he continued to read. "Beat the egg and water inside it."

"Alright," Naruto nodded, pushing the sleeves of his shirt further up his forearms, "Beating I could do."

Watching Naruto so determinedly beating the mix made Sasuke feel pleased with the turn of events. The growing warmth spreading throughout his whole body was also a welcome sensation. He muffled a chuckle upon witnessing the blonde unconsciously jut his tongue out in his efforts to beat the formulating dough.

Reading ahead in the recipe, Sasuke analyzed the mixture before deeming it ready for the next step.

"Alright," he said, "Now we have to knead it."

Nodding his head, Naruto reached into the bowl and pulled out the mass, dumping it onto the clean counter. Dividing the dough, he gave one half to Sasuke and kept the other himself.

"Get to work, Uchiha."

Smirking outwardly, Sasuke took the dough from Naruto's hands. "Hn."

After roughly fifteen minutes of nonstop pushing, pulling and pinching, the two deemed the dough finished. Wiping their hands against their aprons, Naruto was first to reach for the set of directions.

"Damn," he muttered sourly, "We have to wrap it in a damp cloth for two hours!"

Ears perking upwards just like a feline's, Sasuke turned towards Naruto, eyes matching those of a predator. "I could think of a few ways we could occupy the time."

Glancing up, Naruto took notice of the sudden lecherous aura emitting from his lover.

"I know that look."

"What look?" Sasuke feigned innocence.

Lust pooled within the irises of the blonde's eyes as he continued to stare at the Uchiha, body growing aroused as erotic images of what they could be doing danced through his thoughts. Taking a giant step forward, Naruto placed himself mere centimeters from the raven. "You want to fuck me."

"Nothing gets past you," Sasuke whispered hungrily, leaning down to capture the blonde's lips.

Groaning, Naruto threw his arms around the Uchiha's neck and pressed himself closer, wanting nothing more than to feel Sasuke's warm body rubbing against his.

Hand coming to grasp Naruto's hip, Sasuke pushed their torsos together, eliciting a mind numbing moan from his horny blonde. Rolling his hips, he could already feel the evidence of Naruto's excitement pressing against his very own.

Fuck ramen.

Pulling away from his living and breathing drug, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand and eagerly pulled him towards the bedroom.

"Wait!"

Stopping short, Sasuke turned around unable to comprehend what exactly Naruto wanted to wait for.

"We need to cover the ramen!"

For a second, the Uchiha faltered. Then a loud snorting laugh sailed from his lips as he threw his head back and laughed.

Wondering what was so funny, Naruto tilted his head to the side; gazing at the Uchiha with a puzzled expression.

"You and ramen," Sasuke shook his head; hand coming to cover his mouth in efforts to quiet his snort-like laughter. "Noodles beat sex, is that right?"

Realizing what had transpired, Naruto furrowed his brow and crossed his arms in annoyance. "Bastard," he muttered, "Let's just cover the damn thing…"

Nodding his head, Sasuke walked back into the kitchen and dampened a cloth before wrapping the two balls of dough. Upon finishing he gave his perturbed lover a playful look.

"Oh shut up," Naruto stuck his tongue out childishly.

"Hn."

With two strides he was at Naruto's side, pulling the blonde into another mind shattering kiss. Irritation falling away, Naruto wove his arms around the Uchiha and pushed his tongue into the other's mouth.

Letting his lover have the upper hand, Sasuke parted his lips and granted Naruto entrance. Rubbing his tongue wantonly against Sasuke's, Naruto deepened the kiss while Sasuke slowly maneuvered them towards the bedroom.

Tongues clashing in a full out war, Sasuke somehow managed to remove Naruto's shirt without breaking the kiss for more than a few seconds. Groaning out loud, the blonde fisted his hands into silky locks as Sasuke pressed one fiery kiss after another up his navel. Pushing the younger man onto the giant bed, the Uchiha hurriedly removed his shirt and jumped upon his lover. Lust burning in his eyes like an inextinguishable fire.

Beneath him, Naruto thrust his hips upwards, earning himself a jolt of exhilaration and a curse from Sasuke's lips. Grinning, he sat up and seized the Uchiha in a bruising kiss. Desperately both men tugged at the bothersome articles of clothing, throwing them off one by one onto the carpeted floor. As soon as Sasuke's boxers joined the pile of clothes, Naruto moved downwards, grabbing the hot erection in the palm of his hand.

Sasuke hissed as Naruto began to pump him more powerfully, his hand tugging at his length expertly. Throwing his head back against the pillows, Sasuke let a moan escape his lips.

Naruto, hearing that his efforts were baring fruit, increased the pace. Licking his lips he held in his breath as a bead of precum formed on the tip of Sasuke's head. Without a second thought, he brought his lips to the pulsing member, taking it fully into his mouth with a loud suck. It pulsed against the inside of his cheek and throbbed fervidly against his tongue. Grinning, Naruto pumped him faster, working the base and using his other hand to tug Sasuke's swollen sac.

"Fuck, Naruto," Sasuke managed in between pants, "That feels good."

The blonde hummed in response, causing the vibrations to further throw the raven into ecstasy. Working his tongue against the length in his mouth, Naruto rubbed it against the slit, letting his teeth lightly graze alongside the shaft. Humming once more, he gave the head another suck while he continued to pump the Uchiha for all he was worth. Slow, then fast strokes…a swirl of the tongue and a rough suck…more pumping and a long drawn out groan.

Curling his toes, Sasuke moaned loudly as the dam broke within him, pushing him over the edge.

Swallowing quickly, Naruto did not let a single drop fall onto the bed sheets as the Uchiha rode out his orgasm. He sucked and swallowed while continuing the stroking. When there was nothing left, Naruto released Sasuke's cock and crawled atop the Uchiha, clamping his lips around a pert nipple.

Feeling he had played the docile boyfriend long enough, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him down onto the bed, climbing on top in the process. Startled, the blonde blinked.

"My turn."

Capturing Naruto's lips, Sasuke plundered the blonde's mouth, letting his tongue rove over the other's teeth and gums. Moaning beneath him, Naruto wrapped his arms around the broad, pale back and pressed his erection against Sasuke's heated skin. Smirking upon feeling the prick, the Uchiha worked his way down Naruto's neck, making sure to leave at least one mark of ownership behind.

Naruto held back a gasp as he felt a scorching wetness engulf his right nipple. Swallowing with a little bit of difficulty, he fisted the blankets beneath him as Sasuke grabbed a hold of his weeping cock. Feeling the tongue circling around his nub, Naruto curled his toes, his thighs brushing against the arm between his legs as he did so.

"Sensitive, are we?" Sasuke chuckled upon releasing the taut nipple. "I like it."

Unable to form coherent words, Naruto responded by pulling the Uchiha up and kissing him hard. Grunting, Sasuke continued to stroke the cock in his palm as his lips worked on bruising his lover's. Naruto moaned again as Sasuke's strokes grew in intensity, the sound being swallowed up by the raven haired Uchiha. Tugging at Naruto's bottom lip, Sasuke pulled on it gently. Coaxing and creating malleable putty out of his willing lover. Breathing in the scent of sex, Sasuke continued his ministrations down Naruto's neck and further towards the blonde's navel. Tongue finally coming to circle like a shark around the leaking head.

As his hands continued to palm and stroke, Sasuke demonstrated exactly what his mouth was good for. Dropping his jaw, he took the trembling cock completely within his mouth, letting his nose brush against the fleshy base. Tightening his cheeks, he began to suck hard creating a pressure that would send the blonde over the edge in a matter of minutes.

"S-Sasuke," panting, Naruto tightened his hold on the sheets as if they alone could keep him grounded. "I-I..c-ca-can't…m-much….lo-long-er…"

Humming against the length in his mouth, Sasuke continued to stroke and rub, pushing his blonde as far as he could go.

With a final yell, Naruto felt himself release as the spasms of his cock let the milky white fluid flood the Uchiha's mouth.

Swallowing in waves, Sasuke felt the salty liquid run down his throat. Glancing up he watched his lover's face as the other rode out his orgasm. The look upon Naruto's face alone had precum beading at the Uchiha's head.

"Fuck, Naruto."

Slowly opening his eyes, Naruto looked at the erotic display sitting between his legs. Groaning from desire, he sat up and reached for the Uchiha.

Pulling the younger man into his arms, Sasuke burrowed into the bronzed neck, sucking at the sweaty skin below the ear. Naruto moaned from the gesture and tightened his hold, listening to the rhythmic beating of his lover's heart.

Parting from the crook of Naruto's neck, Sasuke leaned across the bed and reached for the drawer in his bedside table.

Grinning from ear to ear, Naruto knew what was about to follow. So leaning his back against the bed, he parted his legs. "Fuck me, Uchiha."

Looking at the arousing display, Sasuke twisted the cap off the lube and squirted a generous supply into the palm of his hand. "Oh, I will," he reassured the blonde, "All night long."

"But we'll have a ramen break, right?"

Smiling, Sasuke leaned down and kissed the tip of Naruto's nose, "Yeah."

Happy with their arrangement, the blonde placed a quick kiss on the Uchiha's lips before falling back against the pillows. Taking it as a signal to start, Sasuke lowered his head and began to place heated kisses against Naruto's tanned thigh. Slowly, but with the precision an archer would be jealous of, the raven haired Uchiha worked his way to the puckered hole. Fingers slick with lube, Sasuke circled the hole with his tongue before sliding one digit inside the tight heat.

Naruto didn't even bat an eyelash at the intrusion. Instead he relaxed himself further and closed his eyes. Intent on experiencing the situation all based on the single sense of touch.

Sasuke's heartbeat reverberated in his ears as he slid another finger into the blonde. His cock twitched, aching to be the one stretching the taught muscles. Visions of plunging deep into the tight ass had his mind reeling as he inserted another finger; desire increasing with every satisfied mewl leaving Naruto's parted lips.

"AHH!"

Naruto arched off the bed, his toes curling as Sasuke's finger brushed against his most sensitive organ.

"Shit," he panted, opening his eyes and looking at the smirking Uchiha between his legs. "Give it to me."

Sasuke obliged willingly.

Pulling his fingers out, he hurriedly aligned himself with Naruto's entrance. Licking his lips, he hoisted one of the blonde's legs over his shoulder before thrusting into the puckered hole. Delirious rapture washed over the Uchiha's face as Naruto's muscles clenched over his length. He groaned, pulling his cock out halfway before slamming it back in causing Naruto to cry out in delight.

The bed frame rattled as the room filled with the erotic sounds of panting, groaning and the slap of sweaty flesh against flesh.

Moaning loudly, Sasuke pulled Naruto's leg to the side, shifting the blonde to lie sideways and continued to thrust, fucking him from the side to get a better angle.

"Oh…ah….AHH!"

Plunging deeper, Sasuke groaned.

There couldn't be anything in the world better than this.

It wasn't possible.

"S-Sasuke," Naruto moaned, shifting his position.

Understanding, the Uchiha let go of the blonde's leg and hoisted him up, taking him into his lap. Wrapping his arms around the slender pale neck, Naruto thrust downwards and effectively took the pulsing cock up to the hilt.

Throwing his head back, the Uchiha let incoherent nonsense tumble from his lips as he continued to thrust, his rhythm becoming more erratic as he drew closer to the edge.

"Y-you…feel s-so…good," Sasuke groaned out.

Naruto could only moan back in reply. He was so close…so fucking close to losing it.

One more perfectly angled thrust was enough to send the blonde into orgasm. A cry fell from his lips as his body convulsed in the Uchiha's arms. Following close behind, Sasuke thrust once more before unloading his essence into the tight heat. Cum spilled from his head in large, hungry waves; coating the clenching muscles around him in a white sticky fluid.

Both bodies dropped onto the sweaty sheets, completely satisfied and perfectly worn out. The Uchiha barely managed to pull himself out from the blonde before collapsing right beside him on the downy pillow.

As their breathing evened out, Naruto turned on his side and burrowed into Sasuke's chest, "I love your cock."

"I love your ass."

Naruto grinned, tilting his head upwards to plant a kiss on the side of Sasuke's jaw.

"You still up for ramen?" Sasuke asked after he looked at the time.

"Fuck ramen," Naruto wrinkled his nose, "It can wait a bit longer."

Sasuke smiled.

:::

_Life is good,_ Naruto thought to himself as he sat next to Sasuke in the staff lounge.

He had a boyfriend whom he really liked.

Had awesome sex the night before.

_And,_ had eaten two bowls of homemade ramen with Sasuke.

Things were just good.

Beside him, Gaara sat sulking. The redhead was nursing a cup of green tea, as he stared forlornly at his lunch.

"How's it going, Gaara?" Naruto asked before shoveling a spoonful of fried rice into his mouth.

Turning his gaze towards his friend, the redhead shrugged his shoulders, "Sai is still alive."

"That's good."

"Not for me."

Stifling a chuckle, Naruto stealthily snatched a dumpling from Sasuke's plate while the Uchiha had his head turned. Popping the sweet dumpling into his mouth, Naruto savored the flavor, letting the juice dazzle his taste buds.

_THUNK!_

"OAWH!" Naruto squeezed his eyes shut as the pain from the back of his skull reverberated to the front. Shooting his boyfriend an icy look, Naruto swallowed before calling out, "That hurt!"

"Don't steal my food."

"Ever heard of sharing, bastard?"

"Ever heard of asking, dobe?"

Ah, he hadn't thought about that.

The door to the staff lounge suddenly opened, admitting a slightly perturbed Konohamaru.

No one in the staff lounge even batted an eyelash.

"Hey, Naruto," Konohamaru approached his step brother, looking serious. "Can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

Smiling, Naruto stood from his seat and excused himself. Then guiding his younger brother out the door, he took him into the hall.

"What's up?" He asked curiously.

"I failed my orgo exam."

"Ouch," Naruto flinched, "That sucks."

"Yeah," Konohamaru nodded. "So I went to talk to my professor, Orochimaru. He asked me to tell you to come by, so you guys could…talk about it…"

Frowning, Naruto crossed his arms, "I don't have any say in the department of Science. What could he possible want to talk to me about?"

Konohamaru shrugged, "Don't know. I kind of think it's weird too, but hey, if seeing you somehow helps my grade then I'm all for it."

"Weird."

"Yeah."

Nodding his head, Naruto ruffled his younger brother's hair. "Okay, I'll go see him after all my classes are done. Sound good?"

The younger boy smiled, "Thanks, Naruto."

The blonde chuckled, "No problem."

After finishing his late class, Naruto went to his office to grab his stuff before heading over to Orochimaru's office. Hoping the man was still there, Naruto knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in."

Sighing in relief, the blonde turned the knob of the door and walked in, closing it behind him.

"Hello," he greeted awkwardly, shifting his orange backpack on his shoulder. "Konohamaru said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yes." Looking up from his lesson plan, Orochimaru motioned for the blonde to take a seat in the chair opposite his desk. Once Naruto had situated himself, the chemist behind the desk smiled and opened a drawer on his side of the table. "I wanted to show you something."

He pulled out a flash drive and attached it to his computer, turning the monitor so that the display would be visible to Naruto.

Curious, the blonde shifted closer, wondering what it was that Orochimaru had wanted him to see.

Within a few minutes, a video started playing.

Naruto's stomach dropped, his eyes widening as they took in the implication. It was footage from a couple weeks ago.

Sasuke's office.

The moaning.

Him leaning over the desk as Sasuke stood behind him, thrusting violently.

All the blood had rushed out of the blonde's face, leaving him pale and haggard looking.

Deciding that his colleague had seen enough, Orochimaru stopped the video and pulled the flash drive out.

"Needless to say," the older smiled cruelly, "This would be a career ender for you and your lover if this video got out."

Naruto didn't doubt that.

This would go directly to the board of trustees. He and Sasuke would be kicked out of the university with scandal biting at their heels. No one would hire them after all that negative publicity.

They would be ruined.

"What are you going to do?" He asked weakly.

"Well," Orochimaru crossed his arms and stared pointedly at his captive, "That completely depend on you."

"I don't understand."

"I'm in the market for a delivery boy," Orochimaru continued, "And I think you would be perfect for the job."

"Delivery boy?"

"Deliver a few packages for me, a couple of times a month." Orochimaru waived his hand, "And no one will ever see this. It will be our little secret."

Suspicious, Naruto leaned forwards, "What am I supposed to deliver?"

"Ketamine," Orochimaru said blatantly. "I have a package that needs to go out next week."

"Drugs!" Naruto stared at the man incredulously, "Are you fucking out of your mind? I'm not going to do that!"

"Oh but you are," standing, Orochimaru approached the simmering blonde man. "You have no choice."

"But I do."

"But you don't," Orochimaru said sharply. "Not only do I have your career in my hand. But I also have your lovers' _and_, not to mention…I have your younger brother."

Stilling, Naruto's lip trembled. "What do you mean?"

"Oh," the chemist smirked, sending an unpleasant shiver down the blonde's spine. "Orgo labs could be very dangerous, you know. God forbid someone accidently lets something slip into a beaker which causes an explosion…or inhales a toxic fume…"

"You wouldn't."

"But I would."

"I don't fucking believe you."

"Are you willing to take the chance?" Orochimaru leaned down and whispered into Naruto's ear, "Are you willing to gamble on your brother's life?"

Realizing that he honestly had no choice, Naruto shook his head.

"Just like I thought." Grinning cruelly, Orochimaru went back to his desk and sat in his chair. "You will pick up the first package from Kabuto in six days. He will be waiting for you on the roof of the Arts and Sciences building, understand?"

Naruto nodded, standing.

"Oh and Naruto," Orochimaru called as the blonde reached for the door. "Tell anyone anything, and I'll know. That video will be viral before you even set foot in a police station."

"I get it!"

"And not a word to your police officer of an uncle."

Freezing, the blonde turned around. "Why are you picking on me? What have I ever done to you?"

"Nothing," Orochimaru said coldly, "It's just that I can. And so, I do." Turning his attention back to his lesson plan, the chemist grabbed a red pen. "Get out."

And Naruto did.

* * *

**Out of the frying pan and into the oven!**

***Runs from angry fangirls who want nothing better than to rip little Smartcat apart***

***Reminds fangirls that if they do, they'll never hear how the story ends***

***Uses Naruto as a shield***

**Review?**


	19. Roommates

**I had somewhat of a difficult time writing this chapter. I just couldn't get myself into the 'zone' I have for writing. But I've gone through this chapter, editing and reediting so this is the best I can do for it.**

**Also , I drew a little scene from this chapter during my pharmacotherapeutics recitation. Just take out all the spaces: smartcat101. deviantart #/ d4nlovl**

** On a completely different note, my other story Fighting Dreamers (FD) is back from hiatus. I have edited all the previous chapters so expect new material sometime soon! **

**Warning: LEMON BELOW!**

* * *

Chapter 19: Roommates

Standing beside a lamppost at the designated location, Naruto shivered as a cold wind blew into his already frozen face. He snuggled deeper into his scarf in an attempt to fight off the biting weather.

Damn it.

He hadn't had time to come up with a plan before the first drug drop.

Now he was here, waiting for some guy to show up.

Gritting his teeth, he cursed under his breath as he stomped his feet in order to keep his blood circulating. The bag full of god knows what sat beside his boots, quietly mocking him.

That damn Orochimaru bastard had been watching him like a hawk all _week_. Asshole had even invaded the staff lounge in order to spy on him!

And those text messages during his off hours…

Naruto cringed.

He had gone out to buy some bagels to take back home and as he was paying, he received a text message from that evil snake.

Bagels for you and Sasuke?

The swine had eyes everywhere.

How he managed it, Naruto had no clue. But it just came to show that he had to tread _very_ carefully.

One needed to be extremely cautious when attempting to escape from a venomous viper whose only intent was to see you suffer.

Not to mention his terrible luck.

Uncle Asuma wasn't even home. According to Kurenai, he would be gone for the better part of two weeks. His team was apparently closing in on a wanted criminal. A nasty guy who had many ties to different underground organizations.

In other words, a big fish that under no circumstance was allowed to escape.

Shaking his head, Naruto tried to focus on formulating a plan.

What could he do in order to get out of this mess?

He somehow needed to catch someone's attention…somehow figure out a way to escape…No!

Growling lowly in his throat, he clenched his fists.

No.

He couldn't think of himself as a victim. Labeling himself in that manner was a sign of subjugation, of defeat. No way in _hell_ was he about to let Orochimaru win.

Things had been going well for him and he wasn't about to let this old geezer ruin it!

The steady echo of footfalls reverberated in his ears causing Naruto to look up from his staring contest with the sidewalk, eyes squinted in the direction from whence the sound was coming from. From the poor lighting, he was able to perceive that the individual approaching was indeed male. A long coat adorned the man's frame and as he came closer, Naruto's pupils traveled upwards.

He swallowed hard.

The man was a whole head taller than him, and then some.

Swallowing thickly, he took in the other's appearance as the man stepped into the street light.

Biting green eyes…

Skin the color of wet sand…

What appeared to be a hijab covered the man's hair…and a black mask hid the lower portion of his face.

If this guy was supposed to scare the living shit out of him…he had done a mighty fine job.

Naruto was scared.

Scared shitless.

"Hello."

The voice sent a shiver down his spine, which further went on to resonate through every single vein within his body.

"Hello," he answered back cautiously.

Pulling out a bag that had been hidden by his overly long black coat, the scarecrow of a man threw it at Naruto.

"The amount we agreed to."

"Uh huh."

Naruto pretended like he knew what that was. Swallowing rather thickly, he picked up the duffel bag that was sitting by his feet and handed it to the man.

"It's all there," he mumbled, wanting to be anywhere but here. "Orochimaru said that the next shipment is going to take a bit longer."

Green eyes collided with his. Already Naruto could feel his insides trembling.

God, he really wanted to get the hell out of here…

"You should really seek out someone else to do business with," he found himself blurting out rather quickly, "Orochimaru can't produce what you need."

"Is that so?"

"Y-yeah." What the hell was he doing? "The man who had been supplying him died. He's barely managing."

"That's…interesting."

Naruto nodded, "You should leave him!"

The mammoth of a man chuckled deeply in his throat. "Kid, I ain't the boss. I just do what I'm told."

"Well then tell your boss!" Naruto said, heart racing furiously. Maybe this was it! If he could get these guys to stop buying from Orochimaru…then that snake would be out of commission…and maybe…he could-

"Trust me, kid," the other growled. "Whatever that nut job is up to, my boss is already two steps ahead. But thanks for the heads up."

Turning on his heels, the masked man began to walk away, giving the blonde a curt wave of the hand. "See ya in a couple of months, brat."

Naruto stared at the disappearing figure, mouth hanging open as his chance at freedom slipped right through his fingers.

:::

After leaving the bag full of cash in the deposit box Orochimaru had assigned him, Naruto made his way to Sasuke's place, as pensive as an old man contemplating death.

Ringing the doorbell, he stood there staring at the knob. Thoughts swirling around his main (and currently) only concern.

Sasuke opened the door and grunted, giving his spaced out boyfriend a look of disapproval. "You're late."

Jolted from his thoughts by the sound of the Uchiha's voice, the blonde grinned and gave an eye crinkling laugh. "Haha, sorry about that."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke stepped to the side allowing Naruto entrance. The younger man strode into the living room and threw himself upon the couch.

"I'm making tomato soup." Sasuke said as he continued on into the kitchen.

Frowning, Naruto turned his head in the direction Sasuke had gone in. "Canned or from scratch?"

"Hn."

That answered _his_ question.

"Sasuke," he whined, getting up and sauntering into the kitchenette, "You know I don't like canned soup! It tastes like metal!"

"It doesn't," Sasuke replied stoically, not even bothering to turn around and face his bothersome lover.

"Uh yeah, it does," Naruto grouched, folding his arms and wrinkling his nose in displeasure. "Can't we just make some ramen like last time?"

Finally turning around, Sasuke gave Naruto a disgruntled look. "Do you remember how much cleaning I did after that?"

The blonde sucked in his cheeks, pretending to think long and hard.

"Not that long."

"Three hours."

"Well it was your idea!"

"Because I know you like it!"

Naruto smiled, enjoying seeing his usually apathetic Uchiha flustered. Leaning forwards he quickly stole a kiss from the older man before running into the living room. "Make some grilled cheese too!"

"What am I?" Sasuke called out after the disappearing Uzumaki enigma, "Your wife?"

"Do you _like_ burned sandwiches?" Naruto replied loudly from the other room.

The Uchiha paused.

Naruto had a rather valid argument.

Turning back to his cooking, Sasuke murmured quietly, "Touché."

A smile crept its way onto the Uchiha's face as he gave the tomato soup another good stir.

:::

"Yes, Ayako," Itachi spoke into the phone as he skimmed over a business proposal. "No, I haven't yet….I'll send out the wedding invitations first thing tomorrow morning….alright…uhuh…yeah…..uhuh…."

Kisame held back a chuckle. He straightened his navy blue suit outside the doorway before stepping into Itachi's office. The guy wasn't even married yet and _already_ he was dancing around his woman.

"….Yes….okay….love you too…bye."

"Where are your balls, Itachi?" Kisame joked as he deposited a manila envelope on the massive mahogany desk, the centerpiece of the proud man's office.

The Uchiha behind it looked up and snorted. "In her small manicured hands…that is, until the wedding."

Kisame nodded, "You're right. Then she'll have your dick held hostage too."

Wincing at the thought, Itachi took the envelope and opened it, peering at its contents. "Did we get the shipment from Kumogakure?" He asked, eyebrows angling downwards upon finding more paperwork and business proposals that he needed to oversee.

"Yeah," the sharp toothed man nodded. "Got it today."

"Good."

Kisame wiggled his eyebrows at his longtime friend and boss. "Two more months of bachelorhood, Itachi."

"Hn," the elder Uchiha grunted. "Go do your job, Kisame."

With a small chuckle rolling off his lips, the round eyed man shoved his hands into his pockets and strode out of the office, whistling to himself as he did so.

Watching Kisame walk out the door, Itachi leaned back in his chair and rubbed his worn out eyes. His vision was slowly becoming worse thanks to these late nights at the office. He swore, once he and Ayako were married, he'd cut down on his hours…

Speaking of Ayako….

Itachi glanced at the box full of wedding invitations and grimaced.

Two hundred people were invited to his wedding.

Inwardly, Itachi wondered if he even _knew _two hundred people.

Deciding that the invitations were going to be tomorrow's problem, he went back to work.

:::

After licking his fingers clean, Naruto leaned back in his chair with a satisfied grin. He steadily watched as Sasuke wiped his mouth with a napkin before standing up and taking their dishes to the sink. As soon as the Uchiha had his back turned, Naruto tried to make a run for it.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?"

Freezing midstride, Naruto slowly turned his head towards the glowering Uchiha. Eyes crinkling at the corners, he gave the raven haired man one of his signature smiles. "To the living room?"

"Hn." Sasuke snorted, "Like hell you are. Help me do the dishes."

With a wince, Naruto folded his arms and walked over to the sink. Picking up the towel waiting for him, he slowly began his abhorred kitchen duties. As Sasuke handed him a bowl he took it diligently and dried it. Placing it on the dish rack once finished.

_Damn Uchiha….and his over excessive need to have everything clean and in order…._

Finally wiping the last dish dry, Naruto dropped the towel onto the counter and smirked. "Done."

Beside him, Sasuke smiled. Wiping his hands on the towel Naruto discarded, he proceeded to walk out of the kitchen. Upon entering the living room, he plopped down on the couch and leaned heavily against the cushioned pillow. Naruto was beside him in a heartbeat. With his back pressed against the Uchiha's side, the blonde let his lids close, letting his mind wander. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke watched as the serene expression on his lover's face took on a more troubled look.

Like a hawk, Sasuke swooped down, capturing Naruto's lips in a torrid kiss. The blonde gasped, shockingly pulled out of his thoughts as the raven's tongue invaded his mouth. Groaning from deep within his throat, he pushed his head back, trying to shift their position into a less awkward one.

"Sasuke," Naruto spoke once their lips parted.

The Uchiha grunted, pulling his lover into his lap in efforts to grind his arousal against him.

"I want to ask you something," the blonde continued as the older man decided to ravage his neck, sucking on the juncture of his ear and throat.

Another grunt from the Uchiha was Naruto's go ahead to continue.

"M-my class," Naruto groaned, "We're r-reading an excerpt where one of the characters is put in a difficult position…" Pushing Sasuke's head away, Naruto focused his gaze on his lover's lust filled eyes.

Realizing that his blonde wasn't going to let him have any fun until he finished his little speech, Sasuke tightened his lip. "Okay, I'm listening."

Nodding, Naruto continued. "See….t-this guy…he is being blackmailed….for doing something…."

"Was it something wrong?"

"N-not necessarily," Naruto's heart rate skyrocketed. "It wasn't wrong…but it was against the rules and if the right people found out…he and someone d-dear to him would be c-completely ruined."

"Okay."

"This bad guy is now blackmailing him into doing something ten times worse…but the c-character doesn't know what to do…he c-can't go to the police….because this snake is watching his every move….nor can he tell anyone for fear that the guy would hurt someone he loved. What does he do?...That's the a-assignment…I-I assigned my class. They have to write a paper…stating w-what their decision would be." Licking his lips, Naruto nudged Sasuke softly. "What would you do?"

"Kill him," Sasuke said without hesitation.

Well now that wasn't exactly what Naruto was expecting.

Eyes widening, the blonde stumbled over his words. "K-ki-w-what?"

Smirking, Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "Kill him. Find the blackmail. Destroy it. Hire an excellent lawyer to plead my case of self defense if things got to that point."

"Isn't that a little too extreme?" Naruto asked.

Again Sasuke shrugged. "Nothing is too extreme for me if it means protecting those that are important to me." Leaning forwards, Sasuke licked the shell of Naruto's ear. "What class is this for anyway? Shakespeare?"

"U-um."

Sasuke whispered into Naruto's ear, "I don't recall reading anything with this type of scenario in it."

Growing more nervous, the blonde cut off all conversation by grinding into the Uchiha's pelvis while capturing the raven's lips in a searing kiss. Playing on Sasuke's desire for sex, Naruto quickly disentangled himself from the Uchiha.

Standing up, he smiled hungrily down at his lover, shoving his fear into the outskirts of his brain. "Come fuck me, Uchiha."

Sasuke needn't be told twice.

Leaping off the couch, he grabbed Naruto by the waist and proceeded to pull him towards the bedroom, ripping his clothes off on the way.

Throwing the blonde onto the bed, Sasuke jumped onto the panting bronzed body and continued to plunder the other's mouth. Naruto shut his eyes, enjoying the tingling sensations spreading through his body as Sasuke's tongue pushed against his own. His cock throbbed between his legs as the raven's thigh pressed against it, creating a delightful friction. Wrapping his arms around the Uchiha's back, Naruto hungrily pushed himself closer to the taught pale muscles of his lover.

Sasuke groaned as he reached his hand down to seize Naruto's twitching arousal. The blonde hissed, bucking his hips in an attempt to thrust his hungry cock into Sasuke's ready fist. In one quick agile movement, Sasuke's mouth captured the tip of Naruto's dick, letting his tongue swirl over the sensitive head. Naruto moaned loudly, pushing the back of his head further into the pillows as his hands latched onto Sasuke's athletic ankles.

There was a definite difference when Sasuke sucked him from this angle. Usually the Uchiha's agile tongue pressed against the underside of his cock and licked its way to the top. From this position, he had everything in reverse…not to mention the tantalizing rear end view of Sasuke's impressively large package.

He was not about to be undone in the game _he_ had started.

Moving his hands down, he hurriedly maneuvered himself.

Sasuke gasped as he felt a wet heat encircle his quivering cock. Groaning, he took Naruto's dick back in his mouth and continued to suck furiously.

It had now become a competition.

Who could make the other cum first.

Naruto pumped Sasuke animatedly as his mouth worked on the head; tongue circling and pressing into every crevice. Lowering his jaw, the blonde pushed more of the length into his mouth and hummed. He felt Sasuke's response in the effects of his own pleasure doubling. Sasuke's moan made his dick twitch with desire….he felt the tightness around him grow as the Uchiha increased the pressure.

It felt _so_ good.

Sasuke groaned again, letting the vibrations from his throat push Naruto closer to the brink. He sucked furiously and pumped harder, swallowing nothing but air just to increase the pressure and triple the pleasure his blonde would feel. He heard a mewl escape from his lover's mouth and grinned.

Just a bit more.

A little further.

Just….a few…..sucks…more….

"GMMMMMMMMMMMPHFFF!"

Warm salty fluid rushed into his mouth as if propelled by an invisible force. Swallowing every single drop, Sasuke milked Naruto for all he was worth as he himself drew closer to his limit. With a throaty groan, he released, spilling himself into Naruto's waiting mouth. He thrust his dick further down the blonde's throat, shivering in bliss as Naruto tightened his cheeks in effort to swallow his mouthful.

"God, your ass looks so good from here," Naruto groaned once he released his boyfriend's spent cock. Before Sasuke could even grunt back an answer, the blonde grabbed his ass and separated the butt cheeks revealing the Uchiha's puckered hole. With speeds unrivaled, he pushed his tongue into territory unexplored quite enthusiastically. Sasuke gasped, letting out a shaky breath as warmth pressed inside of him. He rolled his head to the side, pressing it against the inside of Naruto's thigh as he delightfully quivered from this new sensation. Feeling himself growing hard, he groaned and placed kisses on the side of Naruto's dick. The blonde pushed his tongue in farther, curious to see how his lover would react to his ministrations.

A rumbling groan let Naruto know that Sasuke was indeed enjoying himself. Smiling triumphantly he caressed the supple flesh of his lover's ass with his palms as his tongue continued its excavation.

…Teasing…

…Licking…

…Sucking…

"Sasuke," Naruto said after letting his tongue recede from its exploits of tasting the Uchiha, "Can I?"

Already on cloud nine, Sasuke groggily grunted. "Hm?"

"Can I fuck you?"

Naruto looked longingly at his lover's hole, cock aching.

In one sharp movement, Sasuke's eyes were leveled with the blonde's. He gazed deeply into the blonde's eyes, taking note of the primal desire swirling in those lust filled cobalt orbs.

"You want to top?"

Locks of sun kissed gold fell into Naruto's eyes as he nodded his head.

Sasuke chuckled, "Okay."

Surprised, Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?"

The Uchiha nodded and grabbed the blonde's wrists, bringing them above Naruto's head and trapping them there as he stared devilishly into his lover's eyes. "Indeed….but," here Sasuke smirked, "Not today."

Confused, the younger man gazed back with a puzzled expression on his face. "When then?"

"On your birthday."

Naruto blanched, "But that's like half a year away!"

"Hn," Sasuke raised an eyebrow and placed a kiss just below the younger man's earlobe. Then mumbling lowly, he whispered into the blonde's ear. "You'll be the first to ever do so…so be patient." Trailing fiery kisses down Naruto's neck, the Uchiha felt the blonde shiver beneath him.

"I'll be your first?" Naruto whispered, a grin as wide as the crescent moon adoring his pleasant face.

Sasuke nodded before vivaciously latching onto one of Naruto's pert pink nipples.

Ten minutes later, he was vigorously thrusting between Naruto's thighs, driven by sheer lust, insatiable hunger and a desire to cum. The blonde's legs trembled as his arms tightened around the Uchiha's neck. He pushed down eagerly, trying to take in as much of the other's length as he could.

"AHH!"

Naruto shouted in rapture as Sasuke yet again hit his prostate with deadly precision.

"S-so close," Sasuke groaned as he thrust upwards through the tight muscles. "N-Naruto…"

"Y-ye-…ahhh…f-fuck….Sasuke!"

The Uchiha groaned once more, "S-say it again- ngh!"

"Sasuke!"

"Again!"

"SASUKE!"

"AHHHhhhh!" The Uchiha threw his head back as the dam within him burst.

Three more perfectly angled thrusts later, he heard Naruto calling his name out again as he released, covering them both in hot, sticky cum.

The two of them collapsed onto the bed, completely worn out from the mind blowing sex.

As their breathing evened out, Sasuke reached for Naruto's warm body and pulled it closer to his own.

"Did the soup have a metal taste?"

"No," Naruto pressed closer, his mouth coming to encircle a deliciously erect nipple.

A low moan echoed throughout the room as Sasuke closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of Naruto's tongue.

"Move in with me."

Naruto's mouth went suddenly slack. Lifting his head, he looked at the Uchiha quizzically.

"What?"

"Move in with me," Sasuke repeated.

Naruto pursed his lips. "I'm extremely messy."

"I know."

"I don't put things back in the right places."

"I know."

"People say I'm very loud."

"_I know_."

Naruto smiled. "I'll think about it."

"Hn."

:::

Shikamaru prayed to some unknown deity that the yelling he was hearing from down the hall was not coming from his apartment.

As he drew closer, he winced.

"Troublesome."

Pushing the key into the door, he walked in to find both Kiba and Naruto in all out yelling match.

"SHIKAMARU!" The two bellowed.

The lazy Nara had half the mind to turn around and go crash at Temari's place.

"What?" He glumly asked as he pulled off his coat and tossed it onto a nearby chair.

"Naruto is thinking about moving out!" Kiba pointed an accusatory finger at the blonde. "He said he wants to move in with Sasuke!"

"I haven't decided yet!" Naruto yelled in return. "He just asked me last night!"

With a sigh, Shikamaru walked past his two roommates and entered the kitchen. Opening the fridge he searched the shelves for something that could pass as dinner. In the corner behind the soy sauce and three apples was a container. Curious, he moved the other things aside and pulled it out. After opening the lid, his nose wrinkled.

Temari's bowel cleansing casserole.

The sound of claws tapping against the polished wood floor warned him of Akamaru's approach. The white mastiff circled around his legs. Lifting his head he sniffed at the container in Shikamaru's hands.

A whine escaped from the depths of Akamaru's soul.

Turning around, he all but ran out of the kitchen, tail between his legs.

Even with Akamaru the casserole didn't sit well.

As his two roommates entered the kitchen, Shikamaru turned towards them and grunted. "Anyone want casserole?"

The looks of downright horror upon their faces were enough of an answer for him. With a sigh, he walked towards the trash bin and threw the container and casserole out. Then going to the left hand cabinet he pulled out three cups of instant ramen.

"Naruto," he drawled, "Put the water to boil."

Grinning, the blonde did as he was told.

After all, you could never go wrong with ramen.

And it happening to be his favorite food was just an added bonus.

A couple of minutes later the three men were sitting on the couch in the living room, blowing sloppily on their chopsticks. The ramen between the two wooden chopsticks was downright hot. Even Kiba couldn't scarf it down without a little blowing.

Licking his lips, Naruto inhaled the delicious scent of ramen noodles before opening his mouth and slurping. "Mmmm."

"Mmmhhmmmm," Kiba echoed.

Smirking, Shikamaru grunted.

The two dimwits were now as docile as baby lambs.

Mission, silence roommates….perfectly executed.

After another couple of minutes, Shikamaru deemed it safe to bring up conversation.

"So," he cleared his throat, "What were the two of you yelling about?"

"Naruto is thinking about moving in with Sasuke and leaving us," Kiba frowned.

The blonde sighed wearily, "I'm just thinking about it! He asked me last night…"

"I see," Shikamaru nodded.

"But you can't move out, Naruto!" Kiba turned his head and looked at his blonde friend pleadingly, "What about the two of us?"

"You knew we weren't going to live with each other forever, Kiba."

"But I didn't think we'd split so soon!" He whined, "You're my best friend!"

"And nothing will ever change that," Naruto grinned, nudging him with his shoulder in a friendly manner. "I'll still whip your ass at every video game."

Kiba faltered, eyes lowering. "I still don't think you should move out."

"Shikamaru?" Naruto turned his head, "What do you think?"

"I say go for it."

Kiba's eyes nearly bulged out. "What? You agree to let Naruto move in with Satan incarnate?"

Grinning widely, Naruto stood from the couch, empty ramen cup in hand. Taking the other two empty cartons he started for the kitchen; intent on throwing them out.

Once Naruto was out of earshot, Kiba glared at his friend, teeth grinding together. "If Naruto moves in with Sasuke, we'll barely see the guy!"

As an answer to Kiba's statement, Shikamaru thrust his hips forwards while mouthing 'man crush.'

In an instant, Kiba's face flamed. Grabbing the closest projectile to him, he threw it at the smirking Nara.

Dodging the remote control with practiced ease, Shikamaru leaped off the couch and skedaddled into the kitchen with every intent on using Naruto as a human shield if necessary.

* * *

**Is it just me, or do you guys feel that my writing style was a bit different this chapter?**

**I dunno…I have this weird feeling that something was off when I was proof reading…maybe it's just me….gah!**

**Hate it when this happens -_-**

**Anyway, I'm going to go study now so that I won't have to later. My birthday is on Tuesday and I'm turning 21...gah...I feel so old .**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**

**(And desired for that matter lol)**


	20. Lies and Truth

**Back with another update, YAY! This chapter proved to be quite a bitch to write. It wouldn't do what I wanted!**

**It came out more angsty than comic I think, which pissed me off because I wanted this chapter to be a little more light hearted. Oh well…so goes the world.**

**ALSO: If you want Gaara/Neji please say so. And if you don't, please tell me. I'm going to take a vote and see if I should make the pairing more prevalent or not. So in your review tell me if you're for it, against it, or don't care.**

**And one more thing, does anyone know what was going on with this site the last couple of weeks? I wasn't able to log in or fix up any of my documents…**

* * *

Chapter 20: Lies and Truth

March was proving to be a truly troublesome month, or so Shikamaru thought. It had just barely begun and already he was developing those seasonal allergies that came around this season.

Yes…an itch like no other.

The deep desire one usually acquired this time of year…which consisted of the wish to rid oneself of all work and pesky students with no obvious signs of talent and to bask in the glory that was summer vacation. The golden, sun filled lazy days…when he could just stare into the sky and watch the clouds drift by without a worry or care in the world.

"Kiba, I'm going to squeeze you by the throat until you asphyxiate!"

Then again…summer wouldn't start for another two months, as he was so _callously_ reminded by Sakura's screech when Kiba grabbed an octopus sausage off her plate and shoved it in his mouth. Ebony eyes followed the direction to which Kiba ran seeking safety and sighed. Of course…was he in the least bit surprised?

Ha.

"Shikamaru!" Kiba howled as he grabbed the slumping professor by the shoulders, pivoting him so that he could hide behind the other's slender form. Shikamaru winced, not particularly pleased to be pulled out of his seat and used as a shield.

"What a drag," he grumbled under his breath, eyeing the way Sakura's fists were clenching by her sides. As the emerald eyed female fumed in front of him, Shikamaru quickly scanned over her form. She was wearing a loose fitting dress again, the pale red one to be exact. However, it wasn't doing much in the concealing department. Shikamaru was no fool; he could see the tautness of the fabric around her midsection even though she tried to hide it by keeping her hands at her front. Sakura had gained weight. A lot of weight.

"Sakura!" Ino called from across the room, standing to her feet. "Should I throw this milk away or are you going to drink it, you damn cow!"

"Who you calling cow, pig?" Sakura turned her glare on the long haired blonde. With an audible huff she turned on her heel and marched towards Ino, grabbing the strawberry flavored milk right out of the woman's grasp.

Shikamaru turned to look in Ino's direction, an eyebrow quirked upwards as he took in Hinata's apparel. She was sitting by the blue eyed professor's side, organizing her green peas into a little line on her plate. Both women were sporting dresses once again…though each of different style, of course. Hinata was dressed in a pale violet knit while Ino was swathed in one of royal blue.

It was strange, even for them.

At first he had thought it was some sort of fashion statement, as the three women made a show of picking out and asking everyone of their friends which dress from the latest magazine they had liked the best. In the back of his mind Shikamaru recalled a time when he'd walked into the staff lounge and found all his female friends gathered around one of the round tables, 'oohing' and 'aahing' at some actress dressed in a slimming winter dress. As soon as the group saw him, they had instantly pulled the poor professor into their little circle and made him critique which dresses they would be able to pull off wearing.

Inwardly Shikamaru shivered, remembering how Temari shrieked to high heaven when he said a particular polka dotted number wouldn't look good on her. He had been denied the joys of sex for a couple of days after _that_ horrendous debacle. Shaking his head Shikamaru grunted like a badgered troll and resumed his seat beside Choji. Kiba mumbled something unimportant to him before giving a short wave and leaving to go teach a class.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shikamaru saw Shino flipping through a heavy looking textbook. However, what _particularly_ interested the psychology professor was that the quiet man's gaze kept floundering from his Entomology literature to the three whispering women a few feet away. It seemed Shino too was finding the situation a little odd.

Shikamaru didn't blame him.

Deciding to transfer his gaze elsewhere, he cast his eye on Neji. A few seconds of staring later, he frowned upon realizing that the scientist's mind was clearly elsewhere; as was evident from the look of befuddlement painted over the Hyuga's face as he continued to gawk at the residing redhead blatantly. Gaara had yet to notice as he was currently marking up a set of essays from his previous class. A wrinkle appeared on the English professor's forehead as he read something one of his students wrote. With a quick flick of the wrist, Gaara crossed out the whole front page with his red inked pen. Mumbling darkly to himself about pathetic students and society's decline in intelligence.

A small audible sigh left Shikamaru's lips as his observations came full circle. He analyzed the three women again, letting an uncharacteristic look of determination cross his face. Straightening in his seat he leaned over the table, resting his elbow on the cold hard surface before positioning his head in the middle of his palm.

"Hey, Choji," he called quietly.

The pudgy Economics professor looked up from his lunch and smiled warmly. He swallowed his remaining mouthful before licking his lips with a resounding smack. "What's up?"

Motioning to the three females a few feet away, Shikamaru furrowed his brow. "Something is not right."

"What you mean?"

"Sakura," Shikamaru mumbled, more to himself than to his best friend. "I have a growing suspicion that there is someth –"

"Oh, she's pregnant," Choji cut in before shoveling another spoonful of rice into his mouth.

Beside him Shikamaru nearly choked on his spit. A loud cough erupted from his lungs as he tried to regain a form of equilibrium within his body. Some heads turned in his direction to see what was the matter, but quickly went back to whatever they were doing when they were reassured that Shikamaru wasn't going to choke and die via suffocation.

Once the boy genius regained _some_ semblance of normalcy, he turned to Choji who had by that time finished his meal. Looking the honey haired professor in the eye, Shikamaru took one last calming breath before speaking.

"Are you positive?"

Choji nodded, puffing his cheeks slightly. "I heard Ino talking on the phone…think she was speaking to Hinata." He scratched the underside of his chin, "But I distinctly remember her mentioning that Sakura was pregnant. They were planning something."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Shikamaru said, slightly irked.

Choji stiffly looked to the right where Ino was currently trying to shove baby carrots into Sakura's mouth. "Because Ino caught me eavesdropping and promised to castrate me if I uttered a single word to anyone."

Shikamaru flinched. Ino was pretty good at making do on her threats. "Why did you tell _me_ then?"

"Because you won't tell anyone," Choji said proudly, "Too much effort on your part."

"But what if I _do_ tell?"

Choji answered quite simply. "Then I'm taking you down with me."

Ah.

Very good incentive to keep one's mouth shut.

Shikamaru nodded, "Fine…do you know who the father is?"

"Nope," Choji sighed. "She wouldn't tell me."

Shikamaru was about to ask one more question when the door to the staff lounge creaked open admitting two familiar faces.

"Lunch!" Naruto exclaimed rather loudly, rushing to the table and plopping in a seat beside Sakura. Immediately upon his arrival, Sakura jammed two baby carrots into the blonde's mouth, silencing whatever idiocy was about to spew forth. Naruto nearly gagged as he stood up straight, sputtering and whining as he usually did.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the two professors walk towards the food bar with Sasuke following close behind.

If Sakura by some miracle had gotten pregnant...then there was a probable chance that the father of her unborn child was a mere two feet away from her. Clueless and completely care free. A growing set of unease thrummed through him as he watched Sakura instinctively shield her body by the salad bar.

He shook his head, trying to dispel his slowly heightening sense of alarm. There was still a chance that the child wasn't Naruto's. A very _high _chance, actually. Sakura was a pretty free spirit. Having no fear of getting pregnant, the young professor was no stranger to one-night stands. Yeah...he couldn't jump to conclusions. Besides, he didn't even know _how_ far along Sakura was anyway. Not without directly asking her.

Troublesome.

"I'm not eating that," Naruto wrinkled his nose at the leafy greens Sakura was adeptly piling onto her plate and motioning for him to do the same.

"How about you, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, putting back the tongs and giving the Uchiha a brilliant award winning smile.

"I don't see why I have to diet with you."

"Diet?" Sakura frowned, not quite understanding.

Sasuke continued on, unaware that he had unintentionally stepped into a trap as old as time itself. "Just because you want to lose some weight doesn't mean I have to suffer with you."

Naruto pinched Sasuke's clothed arm stealthily causing the Uchiha to stiffen with a grunt. Turning his head, Sasuke gave Naruto an agitated look. The blonde quickly motioned to the suddenly silent Sakura.

At a pace snails would be envious of, Sasuke turned his head. A pulsing vein above Sakura's left eye was the first thing he noticed, the gritting teeth...a close second.

"You calling me fat, Sasuke?" The anatomy professor said in a sickeningly sweet voice that _clearly_ wasn't fooling anyone.

Now, Sasuke was never one to sugar coat the truth. Even when it might seem his well being might be on the line because of it. He unabashedly directed his gaze down at Sakura, letting his eyes focus on a somewhat well hidden bump.

"Yes."

Naruto hurriedly took three giant sized steps away from the fearless Uchiha and gulped audibly. He had great respect for the brave man and would stand beside him on any matter whether he be right or wrong in his assessments. However, in this particular case...keeping his limbs in all the right places had ranked higher on his priority scale.

"I AM NOT! JUST BECAUSE A GIRL PUTS ON A LITTLE WEIGHT DOESN'T MEAN SHE'S GETTING FAT! I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO GO TO THE GYM SO SUE ME, YOU PRIDEFUL SON OF A BITCH!"

Just this once, Sasuke regretted telling the truth. Sakura had harshly grabbed him by the shoulders and was currently, _relentlessly_, thrashing him to and fro. The constant snapping back and forth of his skull was quickly resulting in a pounding headache.

Shikamaru stared open mouthed along with Choji at the scene. If either of them had _any_ doubt that Sakura was pregnant…it had suddenly vanished with a pop. A normal hormone leveled Sakura Haruno would never _ever_ attempt Kiba tactics on the Uchiha.

"IT'S NATURAL TO GAIN A LITTLE WEIGHT DURING THE WINTER SEASON! AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION, _PROFESSOR_ SASUKE _UCHIHA_, YOU'RE NEVER SUPPOSED TO SAY SOMETHING LIKET THAT TO A GIRL, YOU INCONSIDERATE, DUCK ASSED, COCK RIDING, NARCISSITIC, SHRIVELLED, LITTLE FUCKING PRICK!"

"He actually tops," Naruto squeaked as merciless jade eyes glared in his direction.

"SHUT UP!"

Inwardly Sakura was trembling like a leaf. Every organ in her body had unintentionally tightened within her as fear flooded through her system like a rampaging tsunami. Her immediate reaction was to lash out in anger. Shouting and screaming like a banshee in efforts to distract herself from the terror reverberating inside every microscopic cell. She could hear the words rushing from her mouth as if attached to a motor, but did nothing to stop them. Not that she didn't want to…she did…just that…

"Sakura!" Ino grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Sasuke as gently and as quickly as she could. "Stop it!"

The Uchiha stumbled backwards, falling directly into Naruto's front. The blonde grunted as he tightened his hold around his boyfriend, hauling him up to his feet.

"Naruto," Sasuke croaked quietly, eyes still refusing to focus as he tried to stand on his own two feet. "Remind me to never mention 'Sakura' and 'fat' in the same sentence."

"Bastard," the younger man chuckled morosely, "And you call _me_ the idiot."

"Hn."

The few professors that had braved the staff lounge suddenly got up and left, muttering to themselves about inconsiderate human beings. However the Konoha gang remained seated, only slightly perturbed by the day's events.

Ino and Hinata had both decided to walk out of the lounge with Sakura, their intentions being to comfort the anxious woman.

Only they knew how close of a call this was. If Sasuke had noticed…then the others probably had too. It was all coming down to just a matter of time.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he took a seat beside Neji. The Hyuga smirked, moving his lunch to the side to make more room. It was always nice to see his prideful friend brought down a peg or two. If it was through embarrassment…well that was just an added bonus. Serves the Uchiha right for turning him into a paranoid mess; thinking that horrors could reside around every corner.

Two plates made a clacking noise as Naruto deposited them on the table before taking a seat beside his boyfriend. Neji peered at the Yakisoba piled onto the blonde's plate with distaste. He would never come to understand what the boisterous blonde found so appealing in that highly caloric meal.

Snapping his chopsticks, Naruto was just about to dig in with relish when the cell phone in his pocket buzzed rhythmically against the side of his thigh. A frown flitted across his face as he reached down and pulled forth the now silent phone.

The LED screen showed a blocked number.

Flipping the device open, Naruto quickly read the short text.

_Come to my office _

_Now_

His ravenous appetite slowly transformed into a growing sense of nausea. Tilting his head up, he stole a hurried look at Sasuke. The Uchiha was fully engrossed in his lunch, chopsticks making quick work of the ornately cut up sausages.

"Oh c-crap I forgot," Naruto promptly formulated a lie as he stood to his feet. "I w-was supposed to meet with one of my students t-to go over his essay! Shit, I hope he's still there!"

Grabbing his signature orange backpack, Naruto briskly flung it over his shoulder and rushed out of the staff lounge.

Sasuke looked up just in time to see Naruto's back disappear behind the door. A puzzled expression passed across his face as he turned to look at the forgotten plate of noodles. It was strange…Naruto would have normally taken the plate with him.

He thought about following the blonde and giving him his forgotten meal but decided against it. Surely Naruto would come back for it. The meeting with the student couldn't possibly take too long. Satisfied with his hypothesis, Sasuke went back to eating his lunch.

Naruto never returned.

:::

Entering Orochimaru's office, Naruto glared at the smirking Organic Chemistry professor who sat behind his desk with unrivaled hostility.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"My my," Orochimaru's mouth widened into a disconcerting grin as he put down his pen, "What a venom filled tongue you have."

Naruto glared, choosing to respond with silence.

The older professor laughed, his head tilting to the side as he did so. "You're still the same impudent little brat you were all those years ago." He spoke with mirth, "But you were silent then and you will remain silent now."

"Go to hell," Naruto growled, unable to keep quiet any longer.

Orochimaru let a laugh fall from his lips as he stood from his chair and walked around his desk to where Naruto stood like a stone statue.

"In due time," the pale man sniggered, "I'll be sure to give your regards to Kimimaro."

Naruto slowly frowned, his eyes losing the cloak of enmity upon his inability to recognize the name. Kimimaro…Kimimaro…it did not ring any bell of recognition.

"Oh that's right," Orochimaru thrust his hand forwards, grabbing Naruto by the chin and pulling the younger man towards him. His fingers digging into the warm skin cruelly as he leaned down to whisper coarsely, "You never knew his name…"

"Get off me," Naruto growled, nostrils flaring. He had a raging desire to plant his fist right in the middle of the asshole's face.

The Head of the Chemistry department let his hand fall, only to stare piercingly into the younger man's eyes. "Then again," he continued mockingly, his voice dragging. "You probably don't even recall how he looks like…though I'm sure he's been making a regular appearance in your nightmares throughout your life…right?...Do you remember his voice?...Him breathing harshly into your ear?..."

Naruto's heart rate accelerated as he took a step back. He couldn't know…there was no way…it had to be something else!

"…It was a small stall…mint green doors to go along with the zoo's forest décor, right?..."

Crystalline blue eyes widened in horror as the memory instantly replayed in his head. Green doors…a sweaty hand clamped cruelly over his mouth…the other tugging harshly at his blue shorts. A slimy tongue running down his neck …a pain like none he had ever felt before spreading from his backside…it hurt…it hurt so much….but the man kept on pushing in deeper…trying to rip him in two…a rough hand pinched his nipple under his orange shirt making him scream out in fear…but the other hand muffled his outcry…..then the hand had traveled downwards as the man continued to thrust himself deeper into him… those fingers…he…he was pinching his length…squeezing his small balls in his hand as if they were lemons being juiced…he had vainly tried to bite him…but the man just shoved his fingers into his mouth…gagging him…hurting him…hurting…him…

"…He always talked about you…always brought you up when we spoke…"

"S-stop," Naruto trembled, shaking his head from side to side furiously. "P-please…s-stop t-tal-lking a-bout t-that."

Orochimaru paused, coal black eyes taking in the sorry state of the younger man. For some odd reason, he felt a flare of pity ignite within him.

Those eyes…those large sapphire-like eyes were staring pleadingly at him. Begging him to stop the siege…beseeching…almost praying…

For the first time in his life, Orochimaru stopped out of consideration for someone other than himself…but…he didn't know why… _why_ he suddenly stopped and _why_ he was currently blurting out important information.

"He's dead…" He heard himself saying almost kindly, "You don't have to think about him anymore."

Naruto's head jerked forwards, "How d-do you know?"

"Because," Orochimaru responded coldly, shifting uncomfortably. "He had this job before you."

The blonde shuffled his feet, cobalt irises connecting with the floor as he tried to regain his composure through a process of short quickly inhaled breaths.

Regaining himself, Orochimaru cleared his throat, determined to convey the reason as to why he had requested the blonde to appear at his office. "You _will_ go up to the labs held on the top floor of this building. You _will _go to the dead bolted door marked 'authorized personnel only,' and you _will _make three sharp knocks on it. After you have done so, you'll do whatever Kabuto tells you." Returning back to his chair, he sat down and picked up his previously discarded pen. "And…you'll hand over your cell phone immediately upon entering the lab. Am I clear?"

"W-what do you want me to do in the lab?"

"Assist," Orochimaru stated as he glanced over some paperwork on his desk. "We are behind schedule…and Kabuto needs all the help he can get."

"But I ha –"

"You _will _help."

Naruto just stared unblinkingly at the man while his mouth hung open. How the hell did he manage to get himself dragged into this?

Oh right. He had stupidly gone and broken his own rule of not having sex on school grounds. Turning on his heel, he opened the door and stalked out of the devil's office. As he walked the halls of the building he thought sourly to himself. There had to be a way out of this…he…he was just not seeing it. He had to try harder…_think_ harder…figure something out before things really got out of hand…before he dug himself in too deep.

Looking up he suddenly found himself making three consecutive knocks upon the heavy looking door. _How'd I get here so fast?_ Before he could begin pondering the inner workings of his subconscious mind, the door opened. Pinprick black eyes stared out at him through cumbersome goggles as Kabuto wrinkled his nose. Naruto grumbled, stepping into the lab without saying a word. Upon entering he reached for his phone, ready to hand it over to Kabuto's already and waiting palm.

"You will touch nothing."

"Then what the hell am I here for?" Naruto griped, growing more anxious by the second. He didn't like being here.

Not even the teensy weensiest bit.

"To make sure we don't lose any more product from avoidable mistakes," Kabuto grumbled, pocketing Naruto's cell phone and motioning the blonde to walk with him. Sighing deeply, Naruto tucked his hands into his pockets and followed behind the white coat wearing scientist. He quietly looked the place over, taking in the rows of work benches and metal fastenings covering the lab. A few sinks lined the wall to his right; beside them was a locked glass windowed cabinet. From his vantage point the blonde was able to make out the assortment of bottles arranged neatly within.

When Naruto came upon Orochimaru's work place, his jaw dropped open. The whole left side of the lab bench was covered with an array of different beakers, flasks and funnels. Glass tubes were running up and down, left and right in random patterns, connecting with different tubes, machines and containers. If Naruto hadn't known any better, he'd have thought he'd just stepped into his television set and joined Doctor Frankenstein in his mad science lab…

"I have three different distillation apparatuses set up, so I need you to watch all three while I work on the recrystallization over there," Kabuto motioned with his head to a work bench that held a bulky looking machine on it. "Make sure none of the contents within the flasks turns brown. That would be bad."

"What's this?" Naruto pointed curiously to a thick looking column attached to a beaker via some three way connecter. He could see wisps of vapor rushing through it in little tendrils, reminding him strangely of the mist one would normally find rolling on the hills of a graveyard late at night.

"That's a condensing column."

"And this?" Naruto pointed to another glass fixture.

"That's a vacuum adapter."

"What does it do?"

"Stuff."

"Important stuff?"

"…"

"Important stuff?" Naruto repeated, peering closer at the bauble.

Kabuto mumbled under his breath, "_Okay_…now I don't feel _so _bad. You are annoying."

"You are a blackmailing son of a bitch," Naruto retorted quickly, looking up from his examination of the assortment of tubes and flasks and letting his cool blue eyes settle on the scientist's face. "But you don't see me making a show of it, now do you?"

Kabuto coughed, shifting his eyes to stare at the table. "Whatever. When is your next class?"

"Two o'clock."

"Then I'll give you back your stuff a few minutes before then."

"Why do you need my phone?" Naruto asked, seeing no particular reason why Orochimaru was so adamant about him giving it over. What did he think he was going to do, call Sasuke? Fat chance…the Uchiha had made it clear that _he_'_d_ only make the horrible situation even more foul.

"I don't _need_ it," Kabuto stressed, gritting his teeth as he shifted the goggles on his nose. "It's so that _you_ don't do anything fishy."

"Fishy?" Naruto frowned, crossing his arms. "Like what?"

"…"

"Like what?" Naruto growled, very much bothered by the fact that the man was treating him like some bothersome five-year-old.

Kabuto blinked owlishly at the blonde professor, in what some may label as shock. "They gave _you _a PhD?"

"Shut up!"

"Think about it, moron." The older man grumbled. "How do you think we got the scoop on you?"

Naruto paused, furrowing his brow in thought.

It took a couple of seconds before it dawned on him. Cell phones nowadays came equipped with cameras and video recording capabilities. By taking his phone away…they were making sure he couldn't black mail them in return!

Sneaky bastards.

Well then…Kabuto and Orochimaru had unintentionally given him a brilliant idea.

:::

That night back at Sasuke's apartment, Naruto had situated himself on the couch in the living room, browsing on his laptop while the Uchiha was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen.

It had been recognized early on in their relationship that Naruto was very adept at burning things. Be they food or other objects…like paper towels, pans, spoons or any other assortments of cutlery. If the Uchiha wasn't hovering over and watching the blonde during his attempt at preparing dinner, he would have long since become quite familiar with the emergency room at the local hospital. So he had taken it upon himself to cook.

For the idiot's safety as much as his own.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto called as he opened up the Amazon homepage. "How much do you think one of those spy pens cost? You know, with the little cameras hidden inside them?"

Inside the kitchen, Sasuke put down the tomato he was dicing. Lowering his knife onto the cutting board, he wiped his hands on a nearby hand towel and wrinkled his brow. Then sticking his head out of the kitchen doorway, he cast a scrutinizing look towards his boyfriend who was sitting hunched over his laptop like some gleeful little goblin.

"Why?" He asked hesitantly.

Naruto smiled widely to himself as he furiously typed into the search bar. "Oh, no reason."

"Hn."

* * *

**Hope that wasn't too bad .**

"**Are you kidding?" Kimimaro grunted, folding his arms. "That was horrible! You made me sound like some sick child molesting pervert!"**

**Author clears her throat. "But you **_**are**_** a sick child molesting pervert."**

"**Doesn't mean you have to let everyone know it!"**

"…"

"**And why the fuck did you kill me?"**

"…"

"**Why won't you say anything?"**

"…"

**Kimimaro growled, cracking his fingers dangerously. "If you don't answer me wit –"**

"**GAARA! SASUKE!" Author screams at the top of her lungs, "NARUTO'S RAPIST IS RIGHT HERE! COME AND GET HIM!"**

**A sudden sound of thumping reverberated throughout the room. Kimimaro gulped and jumped out the window just as two panting men threw open the door. Murder in their eyes.**

"**Where?" They asked simultaneously. **

**Author points, "Just jumped out the window."**

**Without wasting another minute, both Sasuke and Gaara flung themselves out the designated window, war cries echoing off their lips. Every intent set on catching the escaping Kimimaro and showing him a world of pain.**

**Review!**

**So Sasuke and Gaara could exact their revenge for Naruto!**


	21. Unveiling History

**I know, I know. 'Where the hell have you been?' Is what you're all asking. I've been…around. Though this update would have come much sooner if fanfiction hadn't been such an a** hole. It took down one of my stories (Kiba's Bad Day) for not following guidelines –meaning lemons do not belong on this site. So I had to go and edit every single story and remove all the lemony goodness.**

**However, I won't let FF win! I have created a website (link to it is in my profile) where I'm going to post all my stories in their unedited form. You can read them all there because they're not censored.**

**Seriously though, I was so pissed at this site for taking down my stuff. There was no warning or anything! Just a stupid email saying they took it down. **

**Okay…enough ranting about it.**

**Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 21: Unveiling History

Ordering the spy pen was not a problem. Spending every single night fretting about when it would arrive was. Naruto tossed in his bed back at the shared apartment, pondering _exactly_ how he was going to make use of his soon to be ticket-out-of-hell.

He'd need to keep the pen by his breast pocket in order to catch everything on video. That meant wearing shirts with breast pockets.

He had only three shirts of that nature.

That was his first dilemma.

The second one was how he was exactly supposed to get Kabuto to _say_ that he was running an illegal drug lab from inside school grounds.

It all needed to be done carefully.

Any slight bit of suspicion from the others and he was done for.

Not to mention the question Sasuke had popped. To move in or not to move in…another dilemma. Sure he wanted to live with Sasuke, but if he did…managing to pull off this scheme would become twice as hard. The Uchiha wasn't one for letting things slide by. One wrong step and Sasuke could start asking the wrong questions.

Wrong questions spelled out trouble. And trouble would certainly be one of the more nasty sort.

But he really, really wanted to. Just the thought of waking up beside Sasuke's warm body brought a tentative smile to his face.

Sighing to himself, Naruto turned onto his left side and snuggled deeper into his pillow. There was no doubt in his mind, if he succeeded with this plan he'd concocted, then he must surely have been a ninja in a past life.

:::

Saturday rolled around much sooner than Naruto expected.

Opening one bleary turquoise eye he cast it in the direction of his clock. A sleepy smile broke free and Naruto rubbed his nose against the downy comfort of his pillow.

Eleven o'clock in the morning.

Oh blessed be he who created the weekend.

A crash from outside his bedroom door caused the bright smile on his face to falter slightly.

"Grab him, Shikamaru!"

Curious as to what was going on behind his polished wood door, Naruto slipped from his sheets and padded towards the morning mayhem. Grabbing hold of the knob he threw the door open only to be barreled down by a soapy wet Akamaru.

"Don't let go, Naruto!" Kiba hollered as he raced towards the downed man.

The blonde blinked before robotically tying his hands around the mastiff's neck and holding on as if his life depended on it. A few short seconds later, Kiba was hauling Akamaru off him with the use of the dog's collar.

"Shit, Akamaru." Kiba grumbled, using his free hand to push back his sopping wet hair.

Naruto looked down at himself. His whole front was now completely wet courtesy of the howling canine just a short two feet away.

"Hey, Naruto," Kiba grunted as he pulled his four legged friend towards the bath, "Since you're all wet and everything, mind helping me finish up?"

"Hell no," Naruto said without a moments worth of hesitation. "I got a date today. No fucking way I'm showing up smelling like wet dog."

Kiba scowled, disliking the fact that he would probably end up completing the difficult task of cleansing Akamaru all by himself. Getting to his feet Naruto turned back around into his room and closed the door. Fisting his shirt in his hands he brought the fabric to his nose and took a sniff. Traces of Akamaru's scent lingered on his cotton blend t-shirt. Wincing slightly, Naruto pulled it off and tossed it on the floor, letting his flannel pants join in only seconds after. With a quick swipe, he grabbed a pair of jeans off his desk chair and hurriedly pulled them on.

Early lunch with Sasuke was not something he wanted to miss.

After all, who could say no to free food?

An hour later Naruto was walking towards a small café by the campus, neck bundled in a bright orange scarf and hands toasty within the gloves Sasuke had bought him. Swinging open the glass door, Naruto walked in as the bells jingled within the café. A quick scan of the premises led him to find the Uchiha sitting comfortably by a table, a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Grinning wide, Naruto strode towards his boyfriend and took a seat directly in front of him.

Sasuke peered at him from over his reading material and grunted.

"What are you reading?"

The Uchiha folded his newspaper and placed it on the table beside him. "The news."

Waiving over to a waitress, Naruto smiled. "Anything interesting happen in the world?"

Sasuke grunted, "One woman gave birth to quintuplets, all female. And they found E. coli in the spinach again."

Naruto laughed, unwrapping his scarf as he did so. "Anything else?"

"Hn."

Both men ordered their meals when the waitress stopped by their table and within fifteen minutes they were happily chomping away on the palate pleasing food.

"Ba tha way," Naruto said, swallowing a mouthful. "Have I ever told you that Gaara likes Neji?"

Sasuke had at the particular moment taken a large sip from his coffee mug. At hearing the truly out-of-the-blue statement, he then proceeded to choke on his hot beverage.

The blonde watched unfazed as his boyfriend continued his coughing fit. Lazily he stretched his hand across the table and swiped an omelet roll from Sasuke's plate. With bulging eyes, the Uchiha attempted to regain his composure. Once he did so, a painful flick to the forehead was administered to one Naruto Uzumaki.

Clutching his throbbing brow, Naruto grumbled under his breath and glared icily at his lover, blue eyes just as piercing as the stalactites hanging from the ceiling of an underground cave.

Disregarding the look he was receiving, Sasuke grabbed his mug again and took a tentative sip.

"Hn."

"Bastard."

"I guess now it makes a little sense."

Naruto blinked, curious as to what Sasuke was alluding to. "What makes sense?"

"Neji has been acting strangely these past few weeks."

Curiosity further piqued, Naruto leaned over the table. "Strange how?"

His question was met with a grunt.

"What did he do? Did he say something?" Naruto continued, not in the least bit put out.

Sasuke folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "I guess you can say a bit of both."

"Meaning?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted again, "He asked me how I realized I was gay."

A huge grin broke across Naruto's face, "Yeah?"

The Uchiha nodded.

"This is great!" The blonde said loudly, leaning back into his seat. "Hey, do you think we should ask them to come to the exhibition with us tonight?"

Sasuke's eyebrows instantly furrowed but Naruto took no heed.

"We can ask them to go, and we can see the unveiling of Sai's painting all together. I'm sure Gaara would go!"

"Since when has our date turned into a matchmaking service?" Sasuke grumbled, tightening his hold on the coffee mug.

Naruto puffed out his cheeks, "It's not matchmaking. We're just asking some friends to come along, that's all."

Sasuke stared at Naruto for a minute, his gaze focusing on the tufts of hair grazing the younger man's ears. The blonde leaned his chin on his palm, waiting for the scrutiny to be over. This wasn't anything new to him.

"I'll agree if," Sasuke started, "You answer the question I asked you before."

Naruto paused. "Which was?"

"Will you move in with me?"

The blonde blinked, cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.

He had been thinking about that request ever since Sasuke had asked him.

"It's not a very hard question, Naruto." Sasuke smirked, already knowing the answer from the way his lover was behaving. "Do you want to live with me or not?"

Naruto swallowed hard, feeling as if he was on stage with all eyes on him. Taking a deep breath he let himself nod his head.

"Say it."

"Fucking bastard…"

"I want to hear you say it," Sasuke smirked again.

"Yes," Naruto rolled his eyes, embarrassed all the way to the moon as was visible from his reddened cheeks. "I want to move in with you."

"Perfect." Standing up, Sasuke signaled the waitress for the bill. "Let's go get the boxes."

Naruto looked up confused, "Boxes?"

"Yes. Boxes."

"Why?"

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's hand, hauling him up from his seat. "Because you're moving in today."

:::

A knock on the apartment door had forced Shikamaru to give up his comfortable position on the couch. With a loud yawn he lazily shuffled towards the door and undid the lock. Swinging the door open he was graced with the presence of both Sasuke and Naruto.

"Oh joy," he drawled, "You're here."

Naruto bounced into the apartment, holding mail on one hand and a pair of folded cardboard boxes in the other. Stepping in behind him, Sasuke took in a breath and winced. The place smelled of wet dog.

Hearing the commotion, Kiba walked into the living room. As soon as his eyes landed on the folded cardboard in Sasuke's grasp, his eyes narrowed.

"What are those?" He said snappishly.

Sasuke smirked. "What do they look like?"

Kiba bristled, "Fuck no, Naruto! You are not leaving and going to live with Satan incarnate!"

At the blaring insult, Sasuke's infamous Uchiha glare became focused on Kiba in an attempt to turn the Biology professor into a small pile of charred ash.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I thought we talked about it, Kiba."

"Yes," Kiba nodded, "TALKED about _thinking_ about it. Not you actually MOVING OUT!"

"Are you jealous, Kiba?" Sasuke mocked, glare still in place.

At the mention of jealousy, Kiba's whole countenance changed. Shikamaru watched from the side as his old time friend suddenly did a complete one eighty.

"Sasuke, let me help you with those," the brunette said hurriedly. "I'll help you guys pack!"

Shikamaru held in a snort.

:::

After a couple of trips back and forth, the group was able to move most of Naruto's things to Sasuke's place. It had taken them a good portion of the day to do so, but with four sets of hands helping, the time flew by.

Naruto threw himself across Sasuke's couch with the day's mail in his hands. Blue eyes reading through news letters from the University with unshielded boredom. However, upon concentrating on a rather pretty envelope, Naruto's interest piqued. Ripping open the letter, he pulled out an invitation.

You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of

Ayako Shiokawa

And

Itachi Uchiha

On April 25th

At five o'clock

A large grin plastered itself to Naruto's face as he read the rest of the invitation. It was finally happening. Itachi was getting married!

"Sasuke!" He yelled across the expanse of the apartment. "Get your ass over here!"

Marching out in just his boxers and a towel across his shoulders, Sasuke looked towards his lover while he busily toweled his wet hair. Taking a seat beside the blonde, the Uchiha smiled when he saw what the moron was so excited about.

"It's about a month away," Naruto said, "Cutting a little close to finals week but hell, there is no stopping me from going to this wedding."

"Would you like to go together then?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Sapphire eyes turned towards him, shinning with unhidden cheer. "Hell yes!"

"Good."

Leaning across the short distance, Sasuke gently took hold of Naruto's chin and brought the younger man's face closer for a kiss. Smiling into the lip lock, the blonde leaned closer, pressing himself against the Uchiha's bare chest. Tendrils of wet hair skimmed his face as Naruto parted his lips to allow Sasuke entrance to his mouth. Tongues glided across each other, rubbing licking at whatever they could reach.

Naruto boldly pushed Sasuke onto his back, their lips still fastened together. With the tip of his tongue, Naruto traced the recesses of Sasuke's mouth; his body already tingling with the effects of arousal. But before he could get any further, Sasuke grabbed him by the arms and pushed him back.

"Hn, moron," the Uchiha chided warmly, "If we start now we'll never make it to the exhibition."

Coming to his senses Naruto slapped his forehead. "Shit, I forgot."

Sasuke smirked, "I thought as much. Go get dressed. We're meeting Gaara and Neji by the entrance in half an hour."

Giving his boyfriend a mock salute, Naruto jumped off the couch and raced into the bedroom. When the door slammed shut, Sasuke let the smile he'd been hiding stretch across his face. He continued toweling his hair with thoughts of how nicely his life had unfolded playing in his mind's eye.

The two of them arrived at the exhibition exactly a half an hour later.

Gaara and Neji didn't keep them waiting long. When both men arrived the group entered the exposition together.

The center was filled with different booths and walls were covered with replicas from centuries past. Assortments of different kunai were laid on a table along with several shuriken. When Naruto took a closer look at the razor edges, he could see the small chips in the blade.

"Yo, Gaara," he pointed at a rather large sword. "Check this out!"

The redhead turned his attention from a rather interesting looking gourd that was said to belong to the fifth Kazekage and looked at the outlaid sword.

"Kusanagi," he said in a somber tone, "It belonged to that deserter nin from the Leaf."

Naruto looked closer, reading the plaque beside the sword. "Kusanagi, the sword that could cut anything."

"They say that missing nin from the Leaf was able to summon black fire," Neji said, joining in on the conversation and standing closer to the jade eyed man. Naruto smiled to himself, watching from the corner of his eye as his two friends pretended to act indifferent.

Gaara nodded, "Amaterasu. If the flame touched you, then you were done for. Nothing could put it out."

Listening to the discussion taking place around the legendary sword, Sasuke joined in as well.

"They say that when the black flames of Amaterasu touched the fourth Raikage's arm, he had to cut it off to keep the fire from consuming his whole body."

Naruto gave a slight shudder. "Ugh, that really sucks. I don't think I would ever be able to cut off my own arm."

Neji nodded and turned his attention to a glass encased kunai, stealthily letting the back of his hand brush across Gaara's leg. Reading the inscription on the plaque below, he motioned for the others to take notice as well. "This is the Fourth Hokage's kunai."

"Cool!" Naruto grinned, pressing his face to the glass and looking at the age old metal blade. "You know he was the father of the Leaf Savior?"

"Everyone knows that, Naruto." Sasuke sighed.

The blonde rolled his eyes, "Yeah, _now_ everyone knows it. But back then no one knew until much later. I remember one of our old teachers saying that the whole village used to hate him because he had the nine tails trapped inside him."

"Hm," Neji pondered, "His name was Naruto too."

The blonde nodded his head proudly, "Yeah. Gramps named me after him when he adopted me because I also had scars on my cheeks and blonde hair."

"Maybe you're his reincarnation, Naruto." Sasuke smirked, sneaking an arm around his lover's waist. "Sai even used you as his model for the period painting."

The younger man grinned, "That would be so awesome if I was."

"Speaking of the famous Hokage," Gaara said and pointed to a glass case a few feet away, "There's his jumpsuit."

The group quickly made their way to the encased ninja gear of the famous blonde nin from the Leaf. Sasuke watched with humor as Neji took a step closer to Gaara as they gathered around the case.

"Damn, it looks like it will disintegrate if we breathe too hard on it," Naruto thought aloud as he stared at the orange and black attire. "Is this the original?"

Sasuke shook his head, "Moron, don't you remember anything? No one knows where he was buried or how he died exactly."

"This is just a replica," Gaara mumbled. "Back then after he became Hokage, many of the villagers would wear his garb in remembrance of the day he saved the village."

Naruto grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I knew that."

"Hn."

The four men continued on through the exhibition, looking at different scrolls, seal designs and artifacts left from the Ninja days. Of course they had to stop at the Hyuuga exhibit so Neji could once again tell them the story of his whole lineage. Both Sasuke and Naruto could feel the boredom zapping their energy as they stood there nodding like robots. Gaara however seemed to be completely ensnared by the words tumbling forth from Neji's mouth. His emerald eyes were wide and glistening with interest as Neji retold the story of the Byakugan.

As the droning continued, Sasuke decided enough was enough. Taking hold of Naruto's hand, he quietly led his boyfriend away from the absorbed pair and walked towards another exhibit.

"Gaara definitely wants to jump his bones." Naruto winked at his boyfriend as they stood a little distance away, watching.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, agreeing whole heartedly. "It seems so."

Naruto took a step closer to the Uchiha, inhaling the pleasant smell of his boyfriend's cologne. "Neji seems interested too."

"It would appear so."

"Let's ditch them."

"Hn."

The pair began making their way towards the back of the exhibit where all the paintings were hung up. Just as they passed the first piece of art, Sai popped out from behind a sculpture of the Fifth Hokage.

"You came," he smiled, stretching out his hand to shake.

Naruto grinned, taking the outstretched hand. "Damn right I did! The wait to see your painting was almost unbearable!"

Beside him Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto was downright childish at times. He was astounded by the fact that a University presented the moron with a PhD.

"It's hanging on the left wall by the Kage paintings," Sai smiled once more, his eyes crinkling at the sides. "I've already gotten some offers on it."

"Really?" Naruto said, shocked, as they walked on over to the hanging work of art.

Sai nodded, brushing back a fallen hair. "Yeah, two people interested in buying it once the showing is over."

"Damn, I must look so good." Naruto winked.

Sai laughed, placing his hand on the blonde's shoulder. Immediately Sasuke felt jealousy grip at his heart like a venomous snake.

That was not going to fly.

Walking in between the two men, he broke their contact and cleared his throat. "Let's see this painting of yours, Sai."

Knowingly, Sai nodded and led them to his work of art. As soon as Naruto saw it, his jaw unhinged.

"Holy fucking shit! I look like a god!"

Sai instantly snorted, laughter bubbling forth from his throat.

Even Sasuke couldn't say a negative word about the painting. His mouth opened a little as well while he stared at the concentrated gaze of his boyfriend coming from the canvas. The kunai in his mouth glistened from the ray of light hitting it at a strange angle. It felt like Naruto was about to jump out of the painting and tackle him to the ground, shirtless and glistening with sweat.

The Uchiha gulped, feeling his throat go dry. The familiar signs of arousal were stirring within him and he had to firmly crush them all before he embarrassed himself in public. Clearing his throat he signaled Sai to step closer. Naruto remained by the painting of himself, doing everything but drooling.

"You said that there are already two potential buyers?"

Sai nodded, "Yeah. They really liked the emotion of my painting."

Sasuke grunted, "How much did they offer?"

"About ten thousand."

"Hn."

"You interested?" Sai asked curiously.

The Uchiha nodded, "Naruto likes it."

"I can tell," Sai smiled eerily making the hairs on Sasuke's neck stand on end.

"I will buy it."

"I thought so."

"Hn."

Sai turned around, "I'll give it to you for ten thousand, no less."

"I didn't expect to be treated differently," Sasuke said, slightly annoyed.

"Good," Sai nodded, "But if Naruto had asked for it…I would have given it to him for free."

"You have a death wish, Sai?" Sasuke asked, angrily; his temper suddenly flaring out of control for no other reason but his uncontrollable jealousy.

"No," Sai shook his head ardently. "Just stating a fact."

"Sasuke!" Naruto came striding over, "Don't I look hot up there?" Naruto pointed back at the painting, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

Without being able to help it, Sasuke smiled in return.

"You are really something, you know that?" He mumbled.

Naruto wrinkled his nose, unable to hear Sasuke's words. "What did you say?"

The Uchiha shook his head, walking over to his boyfriend and pulling him into his arms. "Nothing."

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**Hope you guys like it!**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**


	22. Ripple in the Pool

**Long time no chat! **

**Finally finished writing this chapter. A lot happens here, and I mean A LOT! Some of you thought that the last chapter was filler…it wasn't. I guess it will all be revealed to you later in the story (cuz I'm secretive that way :p)**

**I don't know if I've mentioned this or not but I created a website where I will be uploading all my fanfics to. So far I have everything up there except for Fighting Dreamers and LTBL. These too will be going up there soon. So come visit the site and join! I've installed a shoutbox so you guys can chat about whatever you like. The link to the site is on my profile page.**

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Chapter 22: Ripple in the Pool

After the exhibition both Sasuke and Naruto returned back to the apartment, each thoroughly exhausted bust secretly pleased to have spent the whole day together. Once Naruto passed through the bedroom door he lunged for the bed while still completely clothed from head to toe. Right behind him was Sasuke, unbuttoning his shirt and looking mildly irritated to see his boyfriend spread out on the bed with his shoes still on.

"Hn."

"What?" Naruto whined, too tired to open his eyes.

Pulling his shirt off his lithe frame, Sasuke walked towards his closet. "Your shoes, dobe." Grabbing a hanger, the Uchiha quickly hung his shirt up before proceeding to take off his pants.

Opening one cerulean eye Naruto licked his bottom lip hesitantly as indecent thoughts started to play in his mind, courtesy of the rather tantalizing display of one Sasuke Uchiha. Sitting up the blonde leaned on his arms and watched with interest as his boyfriend continued to strip and put everything away into his closet. When Sasuke was left standing only in his boxers, Naruto decided now was the perfect time to get up. Scooting off the luxurious comforter he merrily walked towards his lover and wrapped both arms snugly around his torso.

"Sassssssukeeeee," he moaned into an ivory skinned ear.

Keeping his features unreadable, Sasuke turned towards his energetic blonde and quirked an eyebrow up in question.

In reply to the unspoken inquiry, Naruto let his fingers trail over the elastic band holding Sasuke's boxers up. Administering a little more pressure with his hand, Naruto let his tongue trace the contours of his lover's ear.

Already beginning to feel the heat pooling in his groin, Sasuke cast a quick glance at the clock, marking the time. With almost ninja like reflexes, the Uchiha caught Naruto's wandering hands and lifted them up.

"We got twenty-five minutes, dobe."

This time it was Naruto's turn to glance at the clock. A mixture of irritation and desire flickered across his face. It was already five past midnight and both of them had an early meeting to attend with the board of directors that Sunday morning, an event neither of them were looking forward to very much. Shoulders slumping, Naruto sighed in resignation.

Seeing his lover's expression, Sasuke pulled the blonde flush against himself and gave his lush lips a quick peck.

"Take your clothes off and meet me in the shower."

Perking his head up, Naruto grinned. He didn't need to be told twice.

Thirty seconds later he was running butt naked towards the bathroom, a wide beaming smile on his face.

After all, sex with Sasuke was _never_ disappointing.

:::

Shikamaru yawned as he walked down the hall towards the staff lounge. Beside him Kiba was grumbling to himself about only _god_ knew what. The lazy psychology professor could only presume it had something to do with Naruto moving out. Shaking his head from side to side he continued to ignore the ever growing mushroom walking next to him.

Naruto had moved out _five_ days ago, it was high time for the over grown child to get over it. With a look of boredom clearly displayed across his face, Shikamaru pushed the door to the staff lounge open and walked in. As it was still early, many of their friends had yet to arrive.

Hell, _he_ wouldn't have been here this early if it weren't for Kiba and his responsibility to have everything prepped and ready to go for his pig dissections.

Crack of dawn was not particularly his cup of green tea.

By the coffee machine he eyed Orochimaru and his TA…a weird looking fellow with extremely large glasses. He didn't know what it was about the guy but every time he saw him, a shiver would run down his spine. Kakashi and Iruka were present as well. The two sat chatting over cups of coffee and what he assumed were rice cakes. A few feet away from them were Sakura and Yamato along with a few other professors from the Biology department. Upon seeing Kiba behind him, Sakura waived their friend over, motioning to a spot she saved just for him.

Deciding now was a good time as any to have breakfast, Shikamaru walked sluggishly towards the food bar and grabbed himself some omelet and a piece of toast. Then just as sluggishly he marched to the coffee machine and poured himself a large cup of coffee, disregarding the shared look between the two Orgo specialists.

Grabbing a chair by the far side of the room, Shikamaru sat down and began to do what he did best.

Observe.

With his first mouthful of the fluffy eggs, Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as he saw Kakashi squeeze Iruka's knee under the table.

Apparently their old high school teacher was having some progress in the love department.

Another set of mouthfuls later, Shikamaru came to terms with the fact that Orochimaru and his sidekick were sharing whispers about nothing related to the University. Whatever the old snake was saying was making his equally as freaky assistant nervous as hell. The TA kept balling his hands into fists within his pockets…and all that shifting from one foot to the other was not a sign of a full bladder.

Sighing somewhat to himself, Shikamaru took a bite out of his toast and turned his head to stare at the most interesting case there: Sakura Haruno.

The girl was pregnant.

The only thing that interested _him_ however, was who the hell was the father?

Lost in thought he brought his cup of coffee to his lips and took a long sip.

Sakura Haruno…

Sakura…

Shikamaru was sharply brought out of his thoughts by a rather loud 'Good Morning, Everyone!' brought to them by Sai. The art instructor had his signature eerie smile in place causing all present in the room to give a slight shiver. Even Orochimaru and Kabuto turned their backs with a poorly hidden shake.

Eyes back on the rosette, Shikamaru came to a decision. He would confront Sakura later that day.

:::

Sasuke rubbed at his temples after he collected all the test papers from his students. There was little doubt in his mind that half the class passed while the other had failed miserably. It was obvious by the unschooled expressions of horror on half their faces. However, he had other things plaguing his mind at the moment.

Walking out of his classroom he marched frankly to the polished aluminum elevators and rode one of them up to the English Literature department. Grunting, he stepped out into the hallway and strode purposefully to Jiraiya's office.

He was not surprised to find the old man sitting at his desk, eyes glued to the computer screen or even remotely shocked to see naked women displayed on the monitor in lewd positions. Clearing his throat, he waited for the Head of the department to realize he was standing there.

Looking up from his favorite program, Jiraiya was startled to find Sasuke leaning against the door, arms crossed and features indiscernible.

"Oh, Sasuke!" He quickly glanced at the time, "You're early!"

"Actually," the Uchiha said, "I'm not. Your digital clock is off by five minutes."

Jiraiya colored slightly, "O-oh yeah…been meaning to change it. Keeps slipping my mind, hehe."

Sasuke held back the urge to roll his eyes, _two years and counting_.

"So," Jiraiya slapped his knees and then motioned for the younger man to take a seat in the chair in front of his desk, "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Sitting himself down, Sasuke looked straight at the older man and pursed his lips. "…It's about Naruto."

At the mention of the young blonde's name, Jiraiya's countenance instantly changed. A frown marred his usually cheery face and a set of furrows made themselves present on his brow.

"Hmm."

It was no big secret as to how close Jiraiya was to Naruto. Both he and Tsunade were family friends of his adoptive grandfather and were frequent visitors of the Sarutobi household. In fact, the reason Naruto became so interested in the world of English Literature was because of Jiraiya.

"Have you noticed anything strange about him lately?" Sasuke pressed.

Leaning back in his chair, Jiraiya sighed and nodded. "Yes…yes I have. Something is bothering him."

Sasuke nodded, that much he had figured out for himself.

He began noticing it a few weeks ago. The silent brooding, questions that didn't make much sense and now the disappearing: Monday night…then again Tuesday morning _and_ night as well.

He _knew_ Naruto didn't have any early morning classes on Tuesdays.

"Has he been coming to you this week?" Sasuke asked.

Jiraiya shook his head, "I haven't been seeing much of him for weeks now. He would usually stop by every day or so to chat. Used to talk a lot about you actually...which only increased after you two got together. But recently he hasn't been around much. In fact, Tsunade hasn't seen much of him either. And she usually visits his granddad every couple of days. We thought maybe it was because of you," Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders. "You know…love and everything makes you forget sometimes…"

"But?" Sasuke prodded.

"_But_," Jiraiya grumbled, "Now that you're here asking me questions…that doesn't bode well. The little idiot might have some problem and doesn't want anyone messing in his business."

Yeah…that sounded like the moron.

"Anyways," Jiraiya stood to his feet and fixed his belt. "I'll be keeping my eye on him from now on, try and figure out what's eating him. Right now we have to get down to the staff lounge."

Sasuke frowned, "Why?"

Jiraiya tilted his head to the side and pulled out an old cell phone, wiggling it. "Didn't you get the text?"

Pulling out his own sleek cell phone, Sasuke checked it and found a text from Choji.

_Guys!_

_Be at the staff lounge at 12:30 okay?_

_Something big is gonna happen today and I want you all to be there!_

A small smile flickered across Sasuke's face. "He's going to do it."

"Yep," Jiraiya grinned, "Took him long enough though."

Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Together the two men rode the elevator down and marched to the staff lounge. Upon entering they saw most of the gang was already there, even Kakashi, Iruka and the two security guards Izumo and Kotetsu. Eyes scanning the accumulating crowd, Sasuke spotted Naruto standing next to Kiba with a grin the Cheshire cat would be envious of. Excusing himself, Sasuke quickly made his way through the group of professors to stand by his blonde. When Kiba spotted him, the brown haired man immediately wrinkled his nose.

"Dude," he grumbled, "Whipped much?"

"Jealous much?" Was Sasuke's quick retort.

"N-no!"

"Hn."

"Ha, look at Choji," Naruto grinned wide, eyes shining with humor. "He's sweating bullets!"

"I still don't get why he wants us all here for this," Kiba added, "It just makes it more nerve racking!"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "I think it's cool."

"Looks like he's about to start."

Naruto and Kiba nearly jumped in surprise. Looking to his left, Sasuke saw Shino standing against the wall, arms crossed against his chest.

"God, Shino!" Kiba griped, "Quite doing that! Man…my heart is pounding like a motherfucking hammer!"

A few feet away Choji took a deep breath and walked over to his girlfriend who was busily chatting up a storm with Tenten and Hinata. He cleared his throat and stepped into her line of sight.

"Oh hey, Choji," Ino smiled and pulled out a big colorful bento box. "I packed you something good."

"Um...Ino? Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Thinking nothing of it, Ino nodded.

Taking another deep breath, Choji tightened his hold on the small velvet box in his pocket and began. "Ino…you and I have known each other ever since we were little kids. We grew up together, played together and experienced new things with each other…"

"Do you think she knows?" Naruto asked, eyes concentrating hard on the scene before them.

"Shh!" Kiba growled, "No way."

"…I never thought you would ever be interested in me and so for nearly five years I kept my crush a secret. Then one of our friends gave me the courage to ask you out when he revealed a secret about himself to our group of friends…"

Sasuke fought the oncoming blush with a violent rigor; his eyes suddenly finding a piece of lint on his pants rather interesting.

"…You were upset and I was your shoulder to cry on. A few weeks later I asked you out and you said yes. For me, that was a miracle. To this day I have not forgotten a single date we went on because each and every single one of them is precious to me. As we got older, I knew I had to be where you were all the time. So I too decided to pursue a teaching career. When we both got jobs here at this place, I was so happy…"

"How long is this going to take?" Kiba whined quietly. "He's procrastinating!"

"Shut up, Kiba!"

"Well he is!"

"Hn."

"…Then when you asked me to move in with you I thought I couldn't become happier. Breaking it to the guys was a little tough," Choji gave a nervous laugh. "I still remember Kiba throwing CDs at me and Naruto barricading the door. Shikamaru was the only one who didn't go all psychotic on me…"

"Oh look, Kiba," Naruto smirked. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Bite me, you ass."

"…What I'm trying to say is," Choji wiped some sweat off his brow and swallowed. "That I can't imagine a life where you're not in it. I want to have a life with you, a family with you…so what I'm trying to say is, Ino will you ma–"

"YES!"

"—rry me?"

"YES! YES! YES!" Ino jumped out of the chair and nearly tumbled Choji to the floor as he tried to open the ring box.

"She said 'YES,' dude!" Kiba screamed excitedly.

"Hell yeah, she said 'YES,' what else is she going to say? Choji is fucking awesome!" Naruto screamed in response just as enthusiastically.

Sasuke just rolled his eyes at the two dickheads but a smile he did share with the rest of the group. Sakura was standing by the side, squealing congratulations along with Hinata, Tenten and Temari. Jiraiya was catcalling from the sidelines while Kakashi stepped over to Choji and shook his hand supportively while ducking Ino's kicking legs of happiness as she hung off Choji like a ragdoll.

Within a few minutes the screaming and laughing all died down somewhat as the rest of the professors sat down for lunch. Ino couldn't get enough of staring at her ring, and who could blame her?

Sakura and Hinata were grinning from ear to ear, imagining how wonderful it would be to march in their friend's wedding. Choji was sitting between Shikamaru and Kiba as happy as a child on his birthday.

Sitting beside Naruto, Sasuke lifted some fried fish with his chopsticks and ate it happily. Naruto was wolfing down some pork cutlets with wallows of ketchup. All in all, things were good.

"Yo, Sasuke," Naruto chimed, "Gimmie a taste!"

In a good mood, Sasuke took a piece of his fish and put it in his boyfriend's open mouth. Naruto grinned and took another bite of his cutlet mixing the flavors. Sasuke grumbled…the blonde's eating habits were specifically unique to him and only him.

Swallowing his mouthful, the blonde picked up his phone which was vibrating on the table. Checking the text his good mood instantly faded to be replaced by an unreadable expression on his face.

"Hey, I gotta go. I'll see you later, okay?"

Suspicion flared within the Uchiha as he saw Naruto fumble with a pen in his breast pocket. "Where are you going?"

"Just need to take care of something."

"Right now?" Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto nodded, grabbing his orange backpack and giving his boyfriend a big smile. "It's nothing…just got to help Tsunade with something. You know how technologically impaired she is. I'll see you later!" Planting a quick kiss on a pale cheek, Naruto quickly ran out of the room.

Sasuke watched him disappear before catching Jiraiya's eye. The old man had noticed Naruto's sudden rush to leave as well as was evident from the uneasy expression on his face. Pulling out his cell phone, Sasuke sent a quick text Jiraiya's way.

_Did Tsunade ask for Naruto just now?_

He waited for Jiraiya to find out from Tsunade with little to almost no patience. Finally his phone buzzed with news of a text message roughly five minutes later.

_No_

_She hasn't talked to him all day_

Sasuke frowned.

It was just as he thought.

Something was definitely up with Naruto.

:::

Shikamaru stood alongside the door leading to the parking lot with his hands tucked into his pockets and a sour look on his face. The sky outside had already turned a dark inky blue with the promising fall of night. Sighing lazily to himself, the young professor changed his stance and continued to stare at the slowly emptying hallways.

Leave it to women to keep you waiting at all ungodly hours of the day.

Finally after another five minutes he spotted Sakura's rosy head marching towards him from down the hall. She gave him a quick wave after spotting him which Shikamaru returned limply.

"Hey!" She greeted him with a smile once they were within hearing range.

Shikamaru nodded his head and motioned for the girl to follow him out. Bundling further into her jacket, Sakura thrust her gloved hands into her pockets and walked out the double doors.

"Where did you park your car?" Shikamaru asked, looking tiredly through the parking lot.

Sakura pointed towards the left and the two of them started a slow trek towards her small car. Upon finding it, the two quickly got in and turned on the heat. Even in mid march, the weather was nippy.

"So," Sakura looked up from her dashboard and into a pair of coal black eyes, "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Shikamaru lifted his index finger and pointed directly at the growing bump around Sakura's middle.

At that single gesture, Sakura felt her blood run cold.

"That."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sakura responded automatically, resisting the urge to turn her body away.

Shikamaru frowned. "Don't play stupid with me, Sakura. I know you're pregnant."

Turning her head away Sakura stared straight through the window, hands holding the steering wheel of her car tightly.

"I don't care that you're pregnant. But what I _do_ care about is if that kid is Naruto's." Eyebrows angled downwards, Shikamaru continued. "If he is the father of your kid, who I highly think he is, you will have to tell him."

Heart hammering in her chest, Sakura tore her eyes away from the window's view and looked down at her feet. _Fuck, what the hell do I say? What the hell do I say?_

"..It's n-not his," she found herself blurting out. "How can it be? I'm only four months along."

_Yeah, that's it! I can just lie about my term! People have premature babies all the time and if mine comes a few weeks early, everyone will think nothing of it!_ Growing surer of herself, Sakura turned her jade eyed stare towards her longtime friend.

"I think it's from that time I went to the bar after work," she fabricated on the spot. "The students were giving me hell and I just needed to let loose for a bit. A guy started hitting on me and I thought, 'what the hell, why not give it a shot.' Slept with him…can't even remember what he looked like, missed my period, went to see the doctor and got the shock of my life. The guy had magical sperm." Giving a little laugh for show, Sakura placed her palm against the bump of her middle. "Greatest mistake I ever made."

_She's lying_. Shikamaru tightened his hold on the keys in his pocket, eyes still locked on Sakura. _Her mouth is saying one thing but her body language is giving me a whole other story…troublesome._

"Anyway," Sakura sighed, leaning against the back of her seat, "Don't tell anyone about this, okay? I want them to figure it out for themselves and if they don't I want to surprise them."

_Oh Naruto and Sasuke will definitely be surprised,_ Shikamaru thought wryly, _they are so absorbed with each other they haven't noticed exactly how big you've gotten._

"What a drag," he finally mumbled, turning his gaze away from the lying woman. "Whatever, do what you want." _I know the truth anyway._

"Thanks, Shikamaru." Sakura inwardly heaved a large sigh in relief. "You're a great friend."

"Yeah," he grumbled to himself as she leaned towards him to share a hug, "…great friend."

:::

Sasuke stood awkwardly by the stove top in his kitchen, trying to keep one eye on the hotpot and the other on Naruto's swinging knife. The blonde had his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he concentrated hard on slicing the carrots into long, fine slivers. For some odd reason Naruto had insisted on making a spicy carrot salad.

Would that taste good with the seafood hotpot?

Of course not.

But no matter how many times Sasuke had told his lovable moron that, Naruto still insisted on making it anyway. So all the Uchiha could do was watch the hotpot bubble and keep a first aid kit at an arm's length away. Every time Naruto would bring the knife down Sasuke felt an itch in his hand to grab for the trusty medical kit. However, so far Naruto had been good about it.

No blood or severed fingers.

"Quit watching me like a hawk, Sasuke!" Naruto growled as he looked up from his work. "You're gonna make me mess up!"

"Hn."

"Stubborn ass," he grumbled, licking his lips before returning back to his meticulous cutting of the carrots.

"This is stupid," Sasuke remarked, arms crossing over his chest as he continued to stare at his lover's foolish toils.

"You won't be saying that once you taste this," Naruto declared, blue eyes glittering with determination. "Uncle Asuma makes this stuff sooo good. I had him teach it to me last time I was over."

"He's back now?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "His sting operation finished a few days ago. I went over because we had a memorial dinner for my grandmother. She died a few days after my adoption became legal…"

"Hn." Sasuke turned one eye on the hotpot. "Have you ever tried to find your real parents?"

Naruto paused before shrugging his shoulders and continuing cutting. "The old man told me they died."

"Hn –"

"AHHH!"

"Damn it, Naruto!"

"I'm bleeding!"

"Put it under the water!" Sasuke said as he grabbed the first aid kit.

Naruto stuck his hand under the sink and let the cold water rush over his bloody finger. "Mother fucker…this stings like a bitch!"

"Moron."

"YOU'RE THE MORON, MORON!"

Tearing the medical tape with his teeth, Sasuke pulled Naruto's arm from under the water. Gauze already in hand he wrapped it around the afflicted finger before grabbing some ointment and adding a dab of it to the cut. With the medical tape he secured the wrapping and then once finished –smacked his boyfriend on the back of the head.

"Hey!" Naruto flinched, rubbing the back of his head with his uninjured hand, "You don't hit patients!"

"I told you –"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto rolled his eyes, "Whatever." Looking at his bandaged finger, the blonde pulled a face. "Geez, Sasuke. Did you have to make the bandage so big? My finger looks like a whale!"

Another slap to the head was what Naruto received for that statement.

"Fuck!" The blonde growled, "Stop hitting me!"

"Only when you stop being such an idiot."

"Never!"

Sasuke pinched his brow in efforts of holding back his irritation before turning to the cutting board and frowning. "Just watch the hotpot and make sure it doesn't boil over. I'll finish cutting up the carrots."

"You have to make them thin," Naruto said, anger completely dispelled as he took up his position beside the hotpot. "Thin but thick enough to give a crunch."

"I know, dobe. I've watched you cut them for the past ten minutes."

Within fifteen minutes the spicy carrot salad was finished. Sasuke poured Naruto and himself a bowl full of the seafood stew and the two sat down together to eat. Even with one finger bandaged Naruto's chopsticks moved at breakneck speed. In seconds he devoured the large clam, then moving on he gulped down the shrimp along with a bunch of noodles.

"Slow down," Sasuke said in amazement, "You're going to choke!"

Naruto took a huge gulp of the broth, letting some of it dribble down his chin. "Ah, so good!"

"You're a pig."

Finishing off the broth, Naruto wiped his mouth with his sleeve before leaning across the table and reaching into the hotpot with his chopsticks. "I never tried to hide it."

A smile broke across the Uchiha's face as he watched Naruto put a huge crab leg into his bowl. With his chopsticks he gathered the spinach in his bowl and quickly before Naruto could close his mouth, he shoved it in. The blonde immediately started to sputter.

"Wha," –cough—"the" –cough—"hell, Sasuke!" Naruto swallowed his remaining mouthful. "You know I don't like that stuff!"

"I know."

"Then why'd ya give it to me!"

Sasuke picked up a mushroom, "Because you need it." Bringing it to his mouth he took the whole thing in, letting the droplets of broth water his lips.

Naruto paused mid tirade, watching his boyfriend eat the mushroom then pick up some tofu from his bowl and eat it too. A warm fuzzy feeling surrounded his heart and he found himself smiling for no rational reason.

Noticing the sudden silence, Sasuke looked up from his bowl to find the blonde staring at him with a sappy smile on his face.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" He questioned, picking at the fishcake in his bowl. A lock of hair fell into his face covering his left eye. Annoyed, Sasuke pushed it back with his hand. Then upon looking back he was shocked to find Naruto mere millimeters away from his face.

"What?"

Naruto turned Sasuke's chair a little before resting his open palms on his boyfriend's thighs. "Nothing."

Leaning forwards Naruto softly began to kiss Sasuke's jaw before capturing the Uchiha's stew flavored lips. Crawling into his lover's lap he deepened the kiss, sucking Sasuke's bottom lip into his mouth with a desperate need.

Growing aroused by this display Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist and thrust his hips forwards to start up the heat. In response Naruto pushed his rear into Sasuke's groin, rubbing it against his lover's cock. Sasuke was just about to reach for the bottom of Naruto's shirt when something vibrated violently against his hand. Startled he withdrew his fingers.

At the buzz in his pocket, Naruto jerked. Detaching himself from Sasuke he quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

_Come to the address we spoke of earlier_

_I will be waiting _

_You have thirty minutes_

Trying to keep his anger from showing on his face, Naruto turned towards the Uchiha who was now looking at his phone suspiciously.

"I gotta go out for a bit," Naruto said softly. "I'll be back late so you should probably go to bed."

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked.

"Just gotta take care of some business."

Eyes narrowing, Sasuke's voice took on a colder tone. "What kind of business?"

Naruto turned away, heading for his shoes. "It's a little personal."

"You've been going out a lot lately," Sasuke said, voice no longer welcoming. "It's almost every day now. First Sunday night then Monday night then again Tuesday at the crack of dawn and night as well. What the fuck are you doing?"

Pulling on his shoes Naruto reached for his coat. "I don't think now is a good time to talk about this."

"Where are you going?"

"It's nothing."

"Then why can't it wait until tomorrow?" Sasuke asked, eyebrows angled. "Why does it have to be tonight?"

Making sure not to look Sasuke in the eye, Naruto lifted his head. "Because I don't have time tomorrow," he lied.

"Bullshit."

"Hey," Naruto growled, "I said it's nothing. So back off." Reaching for the door Naruto flung it open and left, letting it bang closed behind him.

Fuming, Sasuke stared at his front door.

Where the fuck was Naruto going?

* * *

**Things are heating up aren't they now?**

**Sasuke is suspicious, Shikamaru knows and what's the deal with Naruto's plan?**

**All to be revealed in due time ;)**

**Favs and Reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**So review! They made it easier for you now, its right down here!**

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	23. One Step Forward Then Another Step Back

**Dang, I thought I would have this chapter out a few weeks ago but I couldn't seem to write it. Oh well.**

**We are quickly approaching the climax people! The plot is moving! Hurrah!**

* * *

Chapter 23: One Step Forward Then Another Step Back

With a resound sigh Naruto burrowed his chin into the folds of his scarf and continued down the sidewalk towards the bus stop; thoughts concerning Sasuke trapezing through his head like a circus act. His boots made dull thumps as he turned the corner, eyes turning upwards to take in his surroundings.

Upon seeing the bus already at the stop he made a dash for it, waiving his hands and yelling for the driver to wait. Luckily Naruto was of the nosy sort, catching the driver's attention without wasting much energy. Thus wearing an accomplished grin he marched up the steps before thanking the driver and continuing down the aisle to grab an empty seat.

Once situated, his thoughts traveled back to the matter at hand. A small frown appeared on the blonde's face as he lost himself deeper in thought, his eyes unintentionally meeting the onyx rubber floors of the bus.

The spy pen idea wasn't working well for him.

Either the company sent him a faulty product _or_ this is what he should have expected for the price of $19.99.

With the pen's constant malfunctions and Kabuto's zipped lip, it was proving quite difficult to get anything useful from his endeavor. Even making oil out of water would be easier than getting Kabuto to say anything drug related. Not to mention the fact that now Sasuke was growing suspicious with his comings and goings. He had sensed it coming. The questioning looks, the frowns. Curiosity reaching his limit Sasuke finally snapped, interrogating him like a convicted criminal.

"_What the fuck are you doing?"_

"_Where are you going?" _

Things were going to start escalating rather quickly from here on out. The questions, the lying…

Naruto sniffled and blinked his eyes, trying to restrain his nose from dripping. It was a wonder how it could still be so cold near the end of March. Grumbling smartly to himself he shifted in his seat and continued to lose himself in his musings.

What to do?

Should he risk it?

Was going to the police the only way to disentangle himself from this mess?

What if he got fired? Or worse…Sasuke got fired?

Naruto bit his lip in an attempt to mask the fear he felt creeping up his spine with pain. However it did little to distract him from his anxious thoughts.

Would he be so angry that he'd leave? Sasuke could hold grudges for years…and this? This would be a 'big' something. Of course he could say that Sasuke is as much to blame as himself…but then the Uchiha would counter with some witty remark and in the end he'd be left with his suitcase, standing outside the door to Sasuke's apartment. Dumped.

The blonde sighed and rolled his head from side to side, rubbing his hands together. Casually his eyes examined the leather gloves hugging his fingers. A small smile flickered across his somber face as the memory of his first date with Sasuke came to mind.

Those had been the days. Where his biggest concern was dodging Fuka after class…that redheaded student had been a thorn in his side for a better part of two years. Now…how he desperately wished to rewind the clock. Turn back time to the day he ran into Sasuke's office and change the outcome.

"Hebi Boulevard!"

Naruto bounced up from his seat and rushed towards the doors. How they had gotten to the other side of town so fast was a mystery to him. He couldn't have been on this bus longer than five minutes.

After thanking the driver Naruto got off the bus and proceeded down the walkway with a single destination in mind.

Orochimaru's.

He reached the mediocre house within twenty minutes and stood outside the front door for a good five. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to ring the doorbell. All he was able to do was stare at the lacquered wooden door, admire the glass designs and feel the pulsing fear and anxiety rush through his veins. It was only by the devil's design that Orochimaru had seen him from within. Otherwise Naruto would have probably stood there like a statue all night.

"Come in already!" Orochimaru snapped, motioning for Naruto to step inside the house. "The heat is escaping!"

Feeling somewhat dazed Naruto stepped in through the front door robotically. His eyes immediately took in the décor on the walls. From hanging paintings that looked like they belonged in a museum to shrunken heads nailed into the navy painted walls. The little hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he walked deeper into Orochimaru's home.

The long haired chemist had his hands tucked into his pockets, feet shuffling forwards in his slippers as he walked down the hall and continued up the staircase. They continued walking in silence until Orochimaru paused at a door. Motioning Naruto to follow he opened it and walked inside. With a purpose carried by those of high station he walked over to a cabinet leaning against the far wall and pulled open a drawer. Withdrawing a key he turned towards Naruto and tossed it.

"I had Kabuto move the drugs into the garage space we rent down by the river on the edge of town. Our lot number is 347." Stepping forwards, Orochimaru leaned closer towards the blonde and peered deeply into the set of azure eyes. "You should have no problem accessing it."

Naruto frowned, "Where am I supposed to take it?"

"Tomorrow roughly around nine there will be someone waiting for you by the pitch at Konoha High. You will do the trade off there then come straight here and hand me the money."

Cold dread washed over the young professor, realization causing him to take a shaky step back.

"Why am I taking it to the high school?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, his hands coming to cross over his chest as he stared pointedly at the blonde. "That is none of your concern."

Naruto swallowed, liking the situation even less now.

"Are you dealing it to kids?"

The long haired chemist stayed mute, eyes blazing in cold anger. His lips thinned in obvious distaste.

"Oh my god," Naruto took another step back, eyes widening in disbelief. "You are!"

"That is none of your business."

"Like hell it isn't!" Naruto bellowed, anger winning over fear. "Are you insane? They're just kids! You should be keeping this stuff away from them, not handing it over like bars of chocolate!"

"They are not little kids," Orochimaru spoke icily, "A significant portion of them are considered adults by the government."

"Fuck that!" Naruto glared, his hand tightening around the key. "There is no way I'm handing that shit over to high school kids. You're insane!"

Snarling Orochimaru stepped forwards, grabbing Naruto by the forearm. "You will do as I say!"

"Fuck you," Naruto growled. "There is no way you're going to make me responsible for the lives of those kids. No way in hell!"

"You want to bet?" Orochimaru whispered dangerously, digging his fingers into the arm held captive in his grip.

"What?" Naruto spat, "Or you will go to the school board and have me fired? Is that your big _ace_ hanging over my head?"

"Foolish brat," Orochimaru growled, onyx eyes glinting with unshielded malevolence. "You think that's it?"

Naruto glared back, fear completely evaporated. "I will go to the police, I don't fucking care anymore! I shouldn't have let this get so far in the first place!"

Enraged Orochimaru flung Naruto backwards. The blonde, startled, dropped the key as his back collided with the rough entryway. He groaned, attempting to get to his feet.

Still furious Orochimaru rushed towards him and grabbed him, pulling Naruto up by the collar of his coat. "Do not test me, brat!"

Sapphire eyes still glaring, Naruto spat into Orochimaru's face in retort.

Livid Orochimaru roared, throwing Naruto with unmeasured force out of the room. With a startled cry Naruto crashed into the hardwood floor hitting his forehead hard. Rolling in pain he attempted to grab his throbbing skull only to go down head first down the stairs.

For a brief moment Orochimaru stood there with fear in his heart. Quickly he rushed towards the stairs and stared down at the tumbled form down below.

"Shit," he mumbled to himself before rushing down the stairs to examine the blonde.

Naruto lay on his stomach, head throbbing as if someone took a drill to his skull. He moaned in pain, attempting to sit up.

"Careful," Orochimaru's voice said calmly.

Then a pair of hands carefully sat him up.

Naruto lifted a trembling hand to his forehead. Fingers met warm wetness. Further dazed he withdrew his hand and gazed at the crimson mess staining his fingertips.

"I'm bleeding," he said in wonder.

Orochimaru grunted, lifting Naruto's chin so he could get a better look at the large cut. "It looks big."

"I'm bleeding," Naruto repeated like a broken telegraph.

"Yes," Orochimaru sighed. "You are bleeding. Does it hurt?"

"Y-yeah it d-does."

"Hm," he frowned. "You hurt anywhere else?"

Naruto attempted to shake his head but was met with a wave of indescribable pain. Yelping he clutched his head, hand covering the gash on his forehead.

"Alright," Orochimaru nodded more to himself than to the injured man sitting on his floor. "Forget about making this delivery…pretend like it never happened—this visit. You coming here never happened. I'm going to call a taxi and have it take you to the hospital, okay?"

Standing to his feet, Orochimaru quickly disappeared down the hall to make the call. Naruto stayed sitting where he was, cradling his head.

A few minutes later Orochimaru returned with some bandages and a vodka bottle. He knelt beside Naruto and instructed the young professor to remove his hand. The blonde did. A trickle of blood began to drip down his forehead and down his face.

Gingerly Orochimaru poured some of the alcohol onto the bandage and carefully began to wipe away the blood.

"Ow, fuck!"

Grabbing Orochimaru's hand, Naruto stared angrily at the older man.

"You want it to get infected?" The other raised a thin black eyebrow.

Naruto grumbled, "Just put a band aid on it."

Orochimaru shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to argue about it. "Suit yourself."

Sticking on the band aid the older man got to his feet and helped the blonde stand up. By the time they reached the door the taxi was already waiting outside. Guiding Naruto to the waiting car Orochimaru helped him get inside and handed the driver forty dollars instructing him to take the blonde wherever he wanted to go. Once Orochimaru had gone back inside, Naruto straightened in his seat, one hand lightly cast over the gash.

"Please take me to 1672 Washi drive."

"No problem."

Heaving a sigh Naruto leaned back in his seat closing his eyes. Before he knew it they were driving up to Asuma's place. Groggily he sat back up and thanked the driver before stepping out of the car. With small measured steps he walked towards the front door of his uncle's house and rang the door bell. Within a few minutes Asuma opened the door wearing his robe over a set of pajamas. As soon as he saw Naruto standing on his porch his eyes widened in alarm.

"Naruto!"

The blonde tried to force a smile but it came out as more of a wince. "Hey, Uncle Asuma."

Ushering his nephew inside Asuma inspected him from head to toe, taking in the blood stained bandage poorly stuck to the blonde's forehead.

"Shit, Naruto." Asuma cursed, "What the hell happened to you?"

"I slipped on some ice," he lied automatically. Amazing himself with how fast he was able to do this by now.

"How the hell did you find some ice to slip on?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "Just my luck I guess."

"Who is it, Asuma?"

Both men looked up to see Kurenai shuffling sleepily towards them in her nightgown and robe.

"Hey, Aunt Kurenai."

Blinking away the sleep the dark haired woman frowned and took a closer look. Her eyes widened into saucer-like plates upon seeing the bloody bandage stuck to Naruto's forehead. Pushing Asuma to the side Kurenai quickly ushered her nephew to sit down on the couch in the living room before delicately pulling off the already crusted bandage. Naruto winced, letting a whimper pass his lips. The gash was no longer bleeding, a good sign.

Licking her lips Kurenai examined the cut further before straightening up and sighing. "Sit tight, Naruto. Asuma come with me."

Standing up from the couch Asuma tightened his robe and followed his wife into the kitchen. Kurenai immediately went to her medical cabinet, being a doctor, it was bigger than most. She started ruffling through it, pulling out her suture kit, some antiseptic and bandages.

"Get a bowl of water and clean his cut," she instructed as she searched her cabinet for a pair of rubber gloves.

With a nod of his head Asuma rushed to the sink and grabbed a bowl.

"How did he say he got that cut?" Kurenai asked as she assembled all her things.

Asuma sighed, "He said he slipped on some ice."

Kurenai paused, her brows furrowing. "Where did the bandage come from?"

"I was wondering about that too."

They grew quiet as each lost themselves in thought. Asuma was first to leave the kitchen. He slowly walked towards his nephew who was sitting hunched over on the couch with his eyes closed.

"Hey!" Asuma bent down and lightly slapped his nephew's cheek. "No falling asleep."

Naruto's eyelids fluttered open and he grunted dejectedly.

Pursing his lips Asuma dipped a clean bandage into the warm water and as carefully as he could began cleaning the wound. Naruto bit into his lip to refrain from making any noise. The stinging was beyond anything he'd ever felt.

"Does it hurt?" Asuma asked quietly.

"Yeah," Naruto said through grit teeth, "But it's okay, I can deal with it."

"Hm," Asuma looked up, meeting his nephew's eyes. "How did you say you got this again?"

Without any sort of hesitation Naruto repeated his earlier fabrication. "I slipped on some ice when I was outside."

"How did you get that bandage then?" Asuma motioned to the discarded bloody bandage lying on the floor.

"I walked into a nearby store and asked for one." Naruto replied smoothly.

"Hm."

Dropping the blood stained bandage back into the water Asuma rinsed it before squeezing it out and continuing with his earlier task of cleaning the cut.

"How is Asami doing?" Naruto inquired about Asuma's little toddler.

A big smile spread across the older man's face at the mention of his two-year-old daughter. "She's good. Loves orange juice to death. In fact, anything orange is her favorite…I think she get's that from you."

Naruto smiled, picturing the dark haired toddler in her pigtails standing straight with a glass of her favorite juice in hand. "Is she here?"

"No," Asuma shook his head, "She's staying by Kurenai's parents. I have another sting coming up and Kurenai has a few surgeries back to back."

"Oh."

The two fell into silence.

"Let's see what we've got here."

Naruto looked up having lost himself in his thoughts once more. Kurenai was standing beside Asuma with a stern look on her face. Scooting a little to the left to give his wife some room, Asuma moved the bowl of used water and waited for his wife to begin.

"Hmm," Kurenai said after a few minutes of examining the clean cut. "It doesn't seem very deep. Four or five stitches should do the trick."

Pulling out a needle and thread from her suture kit she got to work. Naruto mentally cursed everyone and everything under the sun as Kurenai stitched his cut; his lip now resembling something akin to a rodent's chew toy. Within ten minutes she was done. After snipping off the extra thread she covered the stitches with a bandage and leaned back.

"Don't pick at it, okay?"

Naruto smiled, "Yes, Ma'm."

Rolling her eyes she got to her feet and stretched her back. "Come back in a week and I'll take them out, alright?"

The blonde nodded, standing to his feet.

"I'll fix you up a bed, you can sleep here tonight." Kurenai added, taking off her rubber gloves. "I'll be waking you up every couple of hours just to make sure you don't have an epidural hematoma."

"A what?" Naruto blinked, not comprehending.

Kurenai sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose from fatigue. "I'm just going make sure everything is alright. Head injuries are scary business and I'm worried about you. Like they say 'It's better to be safe than sorry.' Just be happy you have a doctor in the family."

"Oh," Naruto smiled. "Thanks, Kurenai."

She smiled back in return, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a loving squeeze. "Just don't make a habit of falling on ice, alright?"

Naruto looked into her eyes, not missing the hidden meaning in her words.

His smile faltered. "I won't."

"Okay then," she turned to Asuma, "I'll go make that bed."

* * *

**Now what, Naruto? And Orochimaru?**

**What are they going to do?**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**

**Mucho LOVE!**

**-Smartcat**


	24. When Words Fail

**So sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long! I just have a really difficult semester this year. So much time in school and soooo little time to myself. All I do is study…eating is optional at this point. But I finally managed to finish writing this chapter! Sure it took me a couple of months, but I honestly was working on it every chance I could. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Warning: Ye of little years, please abstain from reading farther, kay? I don't want this story disappearing on me like one of my others did…**

* * *

Chapter 24: When Words Fail

Still feeling greatly irked by the affairs of last night Sasuke walked down the University corridors with a displeased frown stretching from the sides of his face. The leather soles of his shoes made dull clacking noises as he sidestepped a student pushing a cart containing the odds and ends of a course dissection. His nose scrunched at the putrid odor before he turned the corner and marched straight into Sakura's empty classroom. The rosette was standing by one of the lab benches fiddling with her laptop.

At the sound of a throat clearing she looked up. Upon seeing Sasuke's familiar form she gave a small smile.

"Hey," she gave a little wave as he approached, "What's up?"

As was customary for the Uchiha, Sasuke shoved his hands deep into his pockets before letting his thoughts tumble off his lips.

"Has Naruto talked to you about anything?"

Sakura stilled. She hurriedly scrutinized the contours of Sasuke's face looking for any clues before replying.

"No…actually I haven't even seen him much this week. Is something up?"

At Sakura's useless reply Sasuke's brow furrowed.

"Did something happen?" She prodded nervously.

Grunting, Sasuke turned around and left the classroom without a word, thus leaving Sakura confused and slightly on edge. Turning to her laptop once more she stared unseeingly at the screen, eyes glazed with apprehension.

After leaving Sakura's lecture hall Sasuke came to a stop in front of the elevators and stared at the throng of students with narrowed eyes.

Naruto had yet to make an appearance before him or anyone else for that matter.

However it was uncharacteristic of the blonde to miss a day of work, even when sick. That meant that either Naruto was doing his best to avoid him _or_ he was growing paranoid in his increasing age. Distractedly he let his hand comb through his hair as he waited for the elevator to arrive.

There was one class left to go before lunch hour and luckily Naruto shared it with him.

With a ding the elevator doors slid open and Sasuke stepped in with the crowd while at the same time coming to a decision. After seeing Naruto he would either break the idiot's neck or demand an answer about yesterday. Satisfied he straightened his shoulders and watched as the sleek elevator doors slid silently closed.

:::

The ramen Kiba had been gorging on slipped from his lips and out of his mouth, splashing back into the broth as his eyes landed on the bandages wrapped around Naruto's forehead. Wooden legs of chairs screeched as both Kiba and Gaara stood straight to their feet, pupils glued to the slowly approaching blonde.

"Hey," Naruto tried to greet nonchalantly, giving a little wave.

"What happened to your head?" Gaara asked, voice unable to conceal his attempt at masking concern.

Kiba however had no problems with showing how shocked he was at the sight of Naruto's head being held together by bandages. Thrusting his arm forward he pointed his finger at his friend's head and raised his voice. "Shit, Naruto! What the fuck happened to your fucking head?"

Before Naruto could utter a response both Kiba and Gaara had a firm hold on each arm and were dragging him towards a chair, plopping him rather unceremoniously into it.

Wincing at the slight sting to his backside, Naruto massaged his behind casually before looking at the two hovering faces.

"Heh," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Oh this? Well…um…it's kind of a long story."

Gaara's mouth thinned. Putting his hand on the back of the chair he leaned closer towards the nervous blonde and growled.

"Start talking."

Green eyes stared unblinkingly at him causing Naruto to suddenly develop a sudden sweating disorder. Swallowing thickly he tried pulling at his collar, hoping to cool down.

The sound of a door banging closed threw the attention off of him for a mere few seconds as Sasuke entered the staff lounge. Upon spotting the familiar golden head of spiky hair, the Uchiha began to make his way towards the younger man only to stop dead in his tracks at the sight of a huge bandage obscuring most part of his lover's head.

"H-hey, Sasuke," Naruto greeted weakly.

"What happened to you?"

The distraught emotion in Sasuke's voice had both Kiba and Gaara staring at the Uchiha rather than at their blonde friend. Never in all their years together had either man ever heard Sasuke's voice tremble like that. It took all of Kiba's self control not to slap himself in the face to make sure he wasn't dreaming. The situation was proving to be quite…surreal if nothing else.

In two strides Sasuke was beside Naruto's chair, tilting the younger man's head to get a better look at the bandage wrappings.

"I'm fine, Sasuke." Naruto tried to reassure the Uchiha.

Onyx eyes worriedly traced over the light scratches on the blonde's cheeks, fingers itching to unravel the bandages and take a look for himself.

"What happened?"

"I slipped on some ice."

Obsidian met sapphire.

And in that moment…Sasuke felt something within his chest clench as if someone just grabbed his heart and gave it a ruthless squeeze. A sharp pain radiated through his whole body, numbing him to all his surroundings. The sound of his heartbeat reverberated in his ears as he continued to stare into Naruto's eyes.

"Why didn't you come home last night?"

Naruto let his gaze drop dejectedly. "I went to Asuma's place so Kurenai could fix it up." Eyes now staring at the folds of Sasuke's pants, Naruto took a slow breath before allowing himself to look at the Uchiha's face. It amazed him at how truly awful he felt lying to this guy. As if doing so was the worst a person could do.

But then again…he wasn't surprised as to why he felt this way. It was one thing to lie to others. Lying to oneself…well…you had to be a complete idiot to do that.

"Kurenai wanted me to stay over," Naruto answered truthfully. "I was tired so I didn't bother arguing."

"Hn."

"Well then," Naruto plastered on a wide grin, feeling as if his face was about to split in two. "I'm going to get some ramen…so if you three would just—" Naruto stood and squeezed past the human barricade surrounding him, "—ah! Great! Now for some ramen!"

Making sure not to look back, Naruto hurriedly walked over to the food bar and stared at the ramen, trying hard to appear light and carefree. Lifting the giant ladle he set to work filling his disposable bowl with a sudden fierceness of a four-month starved mother panther. Bowl filled to near overflowing volumes he set it on a tray before grabbing a set of chopsticks and taking a seat at the table. Smacking his lips he broke the eating utensils apart and began stuffing his mouth before his luck ran dry.

From his standing position Sasuke observed this with a clear and calculating gaze. The chopsticks were a blur as they moved from mouth to bowl in a frenzy. Feeling more irritated by the second the Uchiha took in a deep, slow breath before moving across the room and picking a meal from the food bar.

Both Gaara and Kiba returned to their seats, surrounding Naruto on both sides unintentionally.

Well…Kiba had done it without thinking, always choosing to sit by his close friend. Gaara on the other hand left nothing to chance. His seating arrangement was purposefully positioned in such a way to keep one eye on Naruto's bandaged head and the other on the blonde's sudden new neurological development.

The twitching of the right nostril.

It had been a weird observation Gaara had made when surveying his old time friend and at first thought it to be a nervous twitch. However as time progressed he came to the startling realization that this single unconscious movement gained him a window into the secrets of the blonde's mind.

"Where did you go yesterday?" Sasuke sat in the seat across from his boyfriend and put his tray down, keeping both eyes on his kimchi.

_There it is,_ Gaara observed, jade eyes centered on the golden haired English professor, _that__twitch again…_

"Am I not allowed to go anywhere now?" Naruto replied before bringing the bowl up to his lips and drinking the broth down in loud, unpleasant sounding gulps.

Sasuke fought this uncontrollable urge to plant his fist in the other's face. Gritting his teeth he chose a less violent course of action.

Kicking Kiba under the table.

The wild haired brunette wailed, bending down and rubbing his shin as tears pricked his eyes.

"Mother fucker," he cursed, blinking back the accumulating moisture in his eyes, "Sasuke, what the hell, man?"

"My apologies." The raven haired Uchiha answered back in the least apologetic way possible, "My foot slipped."

Kiba growled, "Foot slipped my ass! You kicked me, you son of a bitch!"

"And this is why I get so many complaints."

All heads turned to find Dean Tsunade standing by the door to the staff lounge, manicured hands on her hips. With her long blonde hair tied back in two pigtails and her razor brown eyes narrowed into snakelike slits, she looked a force to be reckoned with.

"Oh wow," Naruto looked at his make believe watch, "I still have to write up those quizzes. Guess I have to go now. See you guys later!" Sweeping out of his chair Naruto all but sprinted out of the room and was gone before anyone could even bat an eyelash.

Tsunade blinked. Mouth pursing into a small 'o' as she felt her clothes rustle from the young professor's departure, "What the hell was he wearing on his head?"

"That would be a bandage of some sort."

All heads turned towards the direction the statement came from. Kakashi stood tall against the wall, a novel masking the lower portion of his face as his eyes read over the print. He made no other attempt at conversation, deciding this was as far as he was willing to let himself get entangled in the drama that was sure to befall the four corners of the staff lounge.

"Oh," Tsunade wrinkled her nose, "I see. Well then, Kakashi I need you to attend a meeting on the—hey where'd he go?"

Several pairs of eyes blinked, staring at the wall where Kakashi had been standing only moments before.

As Tsunade growled and cursed under her breath Kiba leaned towards Sasuke and worriedly whispered into the other's ear.

"Yo, something feels off about Uzumaki."

Sasuke grunted, tightening his hold over his fork.

"He's been acting weird and now he comes in with bandages wrapped around his melon." Kiba sighed, "Has he talked to you about anything? Do you know what's going on?"

Abruptly standing from his seat, Sasuke held back a cringe and removed himself from the table. Shoving both hands into his pockets he angrily fisted them and swept out of the staff lounge.

The questions were eating at him too. And it was _daunting_. Where the hell was Naruto going all the time? Why wasn't the blonde telling him anything? All this dodging about was making him worry, truly and deeply in fact. Never in his life had he ever felt this incredible sense of trepidation sit so snugly in his chest. It took over his insides like a black ominous shroud, numbing him to all feeling but one.

Shaking his head Sasuke grabbed a hold of his bearings and replaced his stony mask of indifference with a great amount of difficulty. Clearing his throat he stepped into an elevator, deciding to rid himself of his concerned thoughts by immersing himself in derivatives and integrals.

:::

"Wow, that ass can really throw a punch," Naruto commented as he and Sasuke watched a fight take place on the big screen television in their apartment.

In the customary Uchiha fashion, Sasuke let his thoughts be known by a single utterance. "Hn."

"Oh yeah! Right in the snout!"

Sasuke cast a sidelong look at his lover, "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

Naruto grinned widely, eyes shining with humor. "Who doesn't enjoy a good fight?"

"Hn."

Turning his head back to the screen Naruto's brilliant blue eyes lit up once more as one fighter lifted his opponent and tossed him across the room as if the man weighed no more than a feather.

Instead of watching the screen the Uchiha found himself more interested in the array of emotions the blonde was currently displaying. They were so intense in fact, that Sasuke found himself captivated with just a mere second's glance. Against the warm light of his living room, Naruto's golden blonde hair took on a form of a crown. Even with his forehead bandaged his lover looked very much like the Adonis of myth. Firm shoulders, succulent lips and glowing eyes that ensnared at a moment's look.

Throughout the television special Sasuke stared at his boyfriend, noticing how every few minutes the younger man would discreetly take a glance at the time. With each hidden look he felt his heart clench painfully in his chest.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said as he straightened in his seat. "I got to head out for an hour or two, okay?"

Gut clenching Sasuke held back the desire to yell and keep the blonde from leaving. "Where are you going?"

"I need to take care of something," Naruto answered evasively. "Don't worry, I'll be back quick."

Watching from the couch Sasuke sat still as stone while Naruto stood and went to put on his shoes. It was almost painful to watch as the blonde put his arms through the sleeves of his jacket and gingerly placed the hat on his head. All within a matter of minutes he was gone, leaving only the sound of the television as company for the distraught Uchiha.

For a good ten minutes all Sasuke did was just sit there staring at the door, scenarios of every sort taking their turn at disturbing his conscious. Finally having enough of it, the raven haired man grabbed the remote control and turned off the television before savagely throwing it against the wall and hearing it clatter to the polished floor on the other side. Pulling his cell phone from his pant pocket the pale skinned Uchiha scrolled through his recent calls. Upon finding his brother's name he put the phone to his ear and agitatedly listened to the ring. Not one to disappoint, Itachi picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello, littler brother."

"Itachi."

"To what do I owe this pleasure of receiving a phone call?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You still at the office?"

"Unfortunately."

The exhaustion was clear and upsetting. Sasuke frowned. "Why don't you go home early for the next two weeks? At death's door is not the appropriate look for a wedding."

A rough chuckle echoed from the other end. "True…maybe I will. Are you just calling about my well being? I find that a little odd."

One drawn out sigh left Sasuke's parted lips. "No."

"Is something wrong?"

Rubbing his forehead, Sasuke leaned back against the couch cushions. "In a way."

"Little brother," Itachi started, "As I still have not mastered the art of mind reading, kindly tell me what you're getting at."

"Has Naruto talked to you about anything?" Sasuke finally blurted out, feeling his pride deflate considerably.

"Naruto?" Itachi said surprised, "I haven't heard from him since he thanked me for the wedding invitation. Did something happen?"

Voice dropping to a low drone Sasuke grunted in affirmation. "He's been going out late some nights and at times leaves at the crack of dawn. Won't tell me where the hell he's going. Lies about who he's seeing and not just to me…it's to everyone. And on top of it all last night he somehow injured his head. I saw him this morning with a bunch of bandages wrapped around his forehead. Apparently he went to Asuma's place after and Kurenai cleaned it up. I talked to Asuma afterwards and he said the cut had looked bad. Kurenai stayed up all night to make sure the idiot didn't have a concussion.

I don't know what to do, Itachi! He's not telling me anything! I've tried but he just explodes and leaves…no one can get a straight answer from him! He's hiding something…I'm almost one hundred percent sure of it. And I can bet that whatever it is…it's not good. Something is really up. I just—I can't—what the hell am I supposed to do? This is driving me insane! I'm losing sleep over this, Itachi! I don't know what the hell I should do! What if something worse happens? I can't—no I don't even want to think about it. I've already imagined the worst case scenarios…some don't even make a drop of damn sense but I still envision them! Fuck! I just need an answer!"

"Wow."

Fisting a handful of his raven hair in his hand Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and let out a weary breath. "Wow…Itachi? I would appreciate a little more than just a 'wow' at the moment."

Itachi was silent for some time and Sasuke wondered to himself if it was possible to fall into bradycardia with this sort of torture.

Finally he heard his brother let out a breath.

"You've really fallen hard for him."

"What?"

"I guess I shouldn't be so surprised," Itachi mused, "I knew you two were going to end up attached at the hip but I didn't know you'd be the first to fall in love."

"Fall in lo—"

"Yeah," Itachi interrupted. "That crazy feeling you're experiencing when you can't eat or sleep because you're worried about someone to the point of insanity…that's love, little brother. And once love has got you by the heartstrings there is almost nothing you can do about it."

Taking a pause, Itachi quietly waited for the message to sink in before continuing.

"As for the strange events concerning Naruto…that is a bit worrisome. I guess we'll just have to wait and see about that. But Uzumaki is a strong fellow…he can hold his own pretty well. We'll just have to hold back until he feels confident enough to share what's bothering him. Maybe he—"

Ending the call with a quick press of the button, Sasuke let his cell phone drop from his ear before resting his elbows on his thighs and assuming his signature pose of resting the lower portion of his face on his hands. Eyes focused on the carpeted floor beneath his feet he let his mind wrap around the startling discovery.

Love…was it possible?

Was he really in love with Naruto Uzumaki?

How long he sat there thinking over this revelation he did not know. But he was adeptly thrown out of his thoughts by the somewhat loud shutting of the front door. Lifting his ebony eyed gaze he watched as Naruto removed his coat and hat. A small half smile formed on his face as the blonde dropped his hat in the process of sticking his things back in the closet. That one small action drowned every doubt he had about his feelings towards this man.

Picking up his fallen hat from the ground Naruto cast a look towards Sasuke and offered the man a nervous smile. Scrunching the article in his hand he shoved it into the sleeve of his jacket before hanging it up and heading towards his lover.

"Told you I'd be back quick."

"Hn."

Looking around the immediate area Naruto frowned, "Where is the remote?"

"Hn."

Growing slightly agitated by the guttural responses the blonde heaved a sigh and turned face forwards towards the raven haired man. "Sasuke you kn—oomph!"

Sinking into the couch the blonde blinked wildly as his breath was ferociously stolen by the Uchiha's hungry kiss. Almost instinctively his arms lifted to grab a firm hold on his lover.

Parting his lips to suck in a quick needy breath, Naruto's mouth was immediately assailed by the older man's tongue. Dazed he felt the muscle run over his teeth and gums and he felt a sort of rush run from his chest to the tips of his toes. Moaning into the kiss he tightened his arms around Sasuke's back and threw himself deeper into the embrace.

Sasuke growled, letting his fingers get to work on the bothersome buttons of Naruto's collared ocean blue shirt. He wasn't exactly sure why he was behaving in such a way. All he knew was that if he didn't have the blonde now, he'd go insane. Nearly ripping through the shirt while he savagely assaulted the other's mouth, Sasuke ran his palms up and down the bare and exposed chest. An unnatural wiggle was the Uchiha's only indication that something was off. Discreetly looking down his sharp gaze caught sight of a marring bruise on the blonde's ribcage.

Pulling his lips away, Sasuke lifted himself a few inches and looked deeply into the glazed over sapphire spheres.

"Where did you get this?" He whispered huskily.

Naruto swallowed difficultly, his ability to form coherent words severely lacking. "I..mah…eya.."

Disregarding the nonsense flowing from his partner's mouth, Sasuke lowered his head and expertly engulfed an erect nipple into his mouth. Naruto groaned in pleasure, thrusting his hips forwards to appease the growth in his pants.

As his mouth worked his charms on the pert nipple, Sasuke's fingers deftly buzzed around the younger man's zipper. Releasing the metal fastening he ardently tugged down on the pants, grabbing hold of the boxers as well. Letting the nipple in his mouth go with a pop Sasuke stared down at Naruto's exposed erection, breathing hard as his eyes took in the scene.

Sasuke moved as if these were his last few hours on Earth. Throwing Naruto's pants to the floor he quickly got to work on his own zipper, pulling down his pants and revealing his own throbbing member. With nearly all of his clothes on Sasuke pushed apart Naruto's legs and stared hungrily at the puckered hole. He watched as it clenched seductively, waiting for him.

"C'mon, Sasuke." Naruto pressed, moving his hand down and grabbing hold of his own erection. "Put it in."

The Uchiha didn't need to be told twice. Making a bit more room for himself, he lifted Naruto up slightly before shoving himself inside the warm heat. A sharp intake of breath and a muffled whimper fell on deaf ears as Sasuke began to thrust quick and hard into the blonde's hole. His cock was a blur as it speedily went in and out of the pucker, pushing deep.

Naruto ignored the pain and pumped hard at his cock, feeling the pressure build as his ball sac bounced against him. It hurt and yet felt so incredibly good at the same time.

Thrust, thrust, thrust.

A moan here…a moan there.

Heavy panting.

Strings of noises neither animal nor human and in a matter of minutes it was all over.

Sasuke jerked as he unloaded into the blonde, a long drawn out groan falling from his lips. With a few more angled thrusts Naruto released as well, coating himself and the Uchiha in a hot bath of cum.

Thoroughly exhausted Sasuke pulled out his limp cock and pushed himself away from the blonde so as not to crush him. The two waited for a few minutes, trying to regain their normal breathing patterns before continuing.

"You should go shower first," Sasuke said after regaining his breath.

Naruto's brow furrowed, his chest still falling and rising quickly. "You don't want to go together?"

Sasuke shook his head and then leaned over his lover, placing a sweet, gentle kiss on the sweat soaked and bandaged forehead. "I'm going to make some tea."

"Green?" Naruto inquired quizzically.

Sasuke nodded.

Standing to his feet the Uchiha straightened out his clothes and marched out of the living room leaving Naruto to stare at his slowly retreating back.

* * *

**Next chapter shit get's real. Be prepared for a whole lot of things.**

**Title of next chapter: Pop Goes The Weasel**

**Maybe that will give you guys a little clue, neh?**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**

**-Smartcat**


	25. Pop Goes The Weasel

**Thanks to hurricane Sandy I've had some time to write. Firstly I'd like to thank each and every one of you who reviewed the last chapter and helped me surpass the 1,000 review mark. It really means a lot to me that you guys enjoy my work and find the time to leave a comment and tell me what you thought, really.**

**Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**Also, let me know if there were any parts in this chapter that made you laugh, cringe, etc. I am curious ;)**

* * *

Chapter 25: Pop Goes The Weasel

Outside the rain was pounding down on the pavement like a blacksmith on iron. The dull thuds against the glass window pane added to the somewhat dreary mood glazing the apartment that once housed a rather rambunctious blonde English professor. Kiba sat stretched on the couch, one hand wrapped firmly around the remote control as he watched the flashing television set with unseeing eyes. In the armchair beside the small coffee table was Shikamaru, mouth open halfway as he slept with one foot hanging precariously off the side of the armrest.

"Good afternoon, Konoha!" The weatherman onscreen chimed with false cheer, "A look at our weather forecast today show high chances of precipitation, so get your umbrellas ready for our first falls of April."

"No shit, Sherlock." Kiba growled, brows coming together to form a fine line while pinprick black eyes drilled holes into the unsuspecting weatherman. Glancing out the window, the wild haired brunette stared at the falling rain. "Fucking rain."

"Go get laid."

Kiba's gaze centered in on Shikamaru's still comatose form, a petulant look on his face. "Go fuck yourself."

"If I could do that then I wouldn't be here right now."

A blank expression engulfed Kiba's face. It took him a couple seconds to fully comprehend the statement, but when he did a large Cheshire-like grin plastered itself on his mug. "Ha!"

"Seriously though, stop growing mushrooms around the place."

Kiba shifted on the couch, "I'm bored."

"Then go find Naruto."

"Can't."

Shifting his mouth to the side, Shikamaru opened one bleary eye in the brunette's direction, "And why not?"

"He's busy," replied Kiba with a dejected lilt. "Today's the rehearsal dinner for Itachi's wedding."

"What a drag."

"Yeah." He replied, twirling the remote in his hand as Akamaru walked into the room and made a beeline towards him; burying his burly head in his lap upon arrival.

Shikamaru opened his other eye, a curiosity reflecting in his midnight eyes. "Wait…aren't you supposed to be helping Shino observe and videotape the mating of his sting beetles and other crawly things?"

Kiba smirked, "Yeah."

One eye brow raised, Shikamaru glanced at the digital time display. His assumption proving correct, "Why aren't you _going_ exactly?"

"Payback."

Frowning, Shikamaru gestured with his hand lazily, "Elaborate?"

"Tic on the dick." Kiba grumbled sourly.

Confused, Shikamaru scratched his head. "I thought he helped you out?"

"Yeah," Kiba nodded, "However he first decided to tell me I had Lyme's disease. When I freaked out and my heart rate sky rocketed up to the moon he graced me with a creepy smile and said 'just kidding.' Of course I punched him in the face and swore revenge. This is revenge."

"Ah," Shikamaru nodded, somehow managing to follow the somewhat skewed logic of Kiba Inuzuka.

In the lab equipped with goggles, gloves and a camera stood Shino staring at the clock, brows creased in frustration. An hour past the scheduled meet time, he was growing increasingly irate. Huffing to himself he peeled off his gloves and grabbed for his phone. Three rings later he heard Kiba's voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Inuzuka, where the hell are you?"

"Home."

"Did you forget you were supposed help me with my research?" Shino tried to keep his tone of voice formal but was failing drastically.

"Nope."

"…"

"Payback is a nasty bitch. Ain't it, Shino?"

"KIBA!"

"Suck it!" Flipping his cell phone closed, Kiba happily resumed watching the television.

:::

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror with his tongue sticking halfway out of his mouth Naruto gingerly peeled off the bandage stuck to his forehead. Analyzing the pinkish skin around his healing cut he grinned widely. It was repairing quite nicely. Heck, he could just cover the damn thing with his hair and no one would be the wiser.

One week and he was almost as good as new.

"Hey, Sasuke!" He called out from the bathroom.

Thirty seconds later Sasuke Uchiha was standing in their shared bathroom, buttoning up his shirt and peering at his boyfriend's forehead closely.

"Looks good, right?" Naruto said, "Kurenai said it would take longer but I've always been a fast healer."

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a 'Naruto, you look hot no matter what.'"

"Hn."

Wrinkling his nose, Naruto stared into his lover's eyes. "Don't be an ass, Uchiha."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Sasuke smirked before grabbing Naruto and pressing him flush against his front. "That's your job."

Feeling the outline of Sasuke's cock pressing against him, Naruto tried backing away. "Oh, hell NO!"

A quizzical brow rose upon Sasuke's alabaster brow, "No?"

Rushing towards the toilet, Naruto promptly threw the toilet seat and cover down at the same time and plopped himself down atop his throne, ass shielded.

"Get away."

"Why?"

Naruto blanched, "Why? You're asking me why? Itachi's rehearsal dinner is in an hour!"

Arms crossed, Sasuke leaned against the bathroom counter pretending to look pensive. "So?"

"You have got to be joking, right?" Naruto pleaded almost desperately. "I have no idea what's gotten into you this week, but my _ass_ is not your personal plaything! And there is no way in hell that I'm going to Itachi smelling like sex. I will not be the butt of his jokes!"

A suggestive smile played on Sasuke's lips.

"N-no pun intended!" Naruto hurriedly added after realizing what he'd said. "S-Sasuke…b-bad Sasuke! S-stay!"

Frowning at the tone of his lover's voice the Uchiha straightened up, eyes losing their lustful glaze. "I am not a dog."

"Y-yeah," Naruto nodded in agreement, ready to say just about anything to get the Uchiha out, "Now go."

Turning on his heel, Sasuke walked out of the bathroom and continued buttoning his shirt, "Hn," a small smile spreading across his face as he strolled into the bedroom.

Back inside the bathroom Naruto exhaled loudly, only standing once he'd heard the door to the bedroom close. Coming back to stand in front of the mirror he stared at his reflection and spoke aloud in all seriousness, "I am too hot for my own good."

Within the hour the two men were standing inside a large hall dressed in formal attire. Itachi and his bride-to-be were standing at the front of the room giving the customary speech of thanks. Both Sasuke and Naruto sported white button down oxford shirts adorned with pale red ties. Dressed in a dark navy suite, Sasuke looked every bit the proud brother. Naruto stood by his side, dark grey suit jacket in his hands and tie loosened.

As Itachi finished off his speech he signaled for the guests to help themselves to the food being served by the caterers on the sides. It was just what Naruto was waiting to hear. Quickly clapping his hands as was his obligation, he maneuvered himself closer to the food leaving Sasuke to do his brotherly duty of shaking hands with the guests. Mouth already watering at the sight of roasted beef being cut into thin strips he grabbed a plate and was first in line for the delectable morsel. Slowly he made his way to each station, compiling a mountain on his plate that would even make Choji jealous.

Cheeks puffed with happiness the blonde made a beeline for one of the standing tables on the side of the room. Putting his plate down he grabbed his fork and unceremoniously began to shovel the food into his saliva dripping mouth. Out of pure bliss his lids closed as an enormous smile formed across his lips.

Now _this_ was living.

As he continued to eat, blue eyes slowly perused the crowd. He took note of a pretty young woman fluttering her lashes at something Sasuke said. Her low neckline left little to be imagined even from where he was standing. The girl twirled a lock of hair around her index finger and covered another bout of giggles with her clutch. Even from this distance he could practically see the vein above Sasuke's left eye pulsing.

Smiling to himself he let his eyes travel onwards.

Middle aged women— probably aunts of the bride.

Some highly polished men in black suites— no doubt Itachi's business associates.

Continuing his perusal, Naruto forked a small beef patty in the shape of a fan and stuck it in his mouth. Chewing slowly he turned his head to the side only to freeze up like a deer at the sight his eyes beheld. Heart as if attached to a motor began to beat wildly in his chest while cold dread slowly crept upwards from his already frozen toes. The silver fork fell from his hold and dropped to the lacquered floor with a clatter.

_It can't be_, Naruto thought to himself. Closing his eyes he counted up to five before reopening them. Drawing in a sudden intake of breath he hurriedly turned his face away, _Shit_.

On the other side of the room green eyes flashed in recognition just as Naruto turned his face away.

"Itachi's such a sweetheart," Ayako gushed to her friends as she threaded her arm with her fiancés'. Unable to hide the snigger, Sasuke angled his head down and covered his mouth with the palm of his hand feigning a cough. Not one to be fooled by such antics Itachi furrowed his brow, cheeks an undesirable reddish hue.

"Excuse me," he murmured into his bride's ear before walking towards his brother and grabbing him by the forearm. Sasuke smirked and let himself be led to the side by his flustered elder brother. Once Itachi deemed it a far enough distance away from curious eyes and ears, he turned his full attention towards the younger raven haired Uchiha.

"This is absurd."

"Ah but just imagine," Sasuke whispered, "Next week it will be even worse."

Itachi growled, "You, dear brother, aren't helping."

"Wasn't trying to."

Rubbing his brow, Itachi sighed. "I need a drink." Stretching his neck, a thought crossed his mind. "Where's Naruto?"

"Stuffing his idiot face." Sasuke answered monotonously, eyes however betraying his otherwise perfect tone of voice.

Itachi paused, "Am I sensing a thread of hostility here?"

The half smile on Sasuke's face disappeared only to be replaced with a stony, unreadable expression. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You can't_ still_ be obsessing over what I said last week."

"I _said_," Sasuke spoke through gritted teeth, "that I don't want to _talk_ about it."

Taking a step back, Itachi made a quick analysis of his brother. His eyes skimmed the young Uchiha up and down, taking in every minute detail.

"You're taking your frustration out on him through sex, aren't you?"

Sasuke's eyes bulged, lips parting in the moment's loss of faculties. "W-what?"

"Just an educated guess," Itachi shrugged before rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "I just happen to do the same."

"Itachi," Sasuke gritted out, eyes shut tight. "I do not need the image of your naked ass burned into my mind's eye."

"Hn."

"Itachi."

The two brothers turned their attention to the voice on their left. Kisame stood there in his suit with another man, his eyes unreadable.

"What is it?" Itachi asked, tone serious.

Kisame's eyes met with Sasuke's, wordlessly letting the other Uchiha know a little privacy was in order. Taking the hint, Sasuke nodded his head and with a parting word left his brother's side.

"Tell him, Kakuzu."

"Sir," Kakuzu stepped forward, bowing his head in respect. "It's in regards to your private business, apart from the company."

The muscles in Itachi's neck tightened. "What happened?"

"Sir, one of the dealers is here."

"Are you positive?" Itachi asked sternly, all traces of humor gone.

Lowering his head, Kakuzu spoke clearly. "Yes, sir."

"Discreetly point him out." The Uchiha ordered.

Bowing his head once more, Kakuzu then turned back to the crowds, looking for the familiar face. Upon finding his target, the green eyed man cleared his throat before speaking. "Sir, he is currently standing by your brother."

Itachi's eyes flashed towards Sasuke, taking in all the faces of the people around him. "Who is it?"

"The blonde haired man, sir."

Itachi paused, eyes slowly drifting towards Naruto.

"He just scratched the back of his neck, sir."

"Naruto?" Kisame questioned in disbelief. "Damn it, Kakuzu. I think you've had a little too much to drink…crazy bastard."

"I am positive," Kakuzu assured, eyes lifting upwards and catching those of the Uchiha. "He is Orochimaru's errand boy. I remember him clearly since it was the most _peculiar_ drop and pick up I've ever been to. It's him."

Shaking his head, Itachi closed his eyes in an attempt to make sense of the situation when he remembered the conversation he had with Sasuke over the phone a week ago.

_"He's been going out late some nights and at times leaves at the crack of dawn. Won't tell me where the hell he's going. Lies about who he's seeing and not just to me…it's to everyone. And on top of it all last night he somehow injured his head. I saw him this morning with a bunch of bandages wrapped around his forehead…_

_...__I don't know what to do, Itachi! He's not telling me anything! I've tried but he just explodes and leaves…no one can get a straight answer from him! He's hiding something…I'm almost one hundred percent sure of it. And I can bet that whatever it is…it's not good."_

"Shit."

"It's Naruto?" Kisame asked in shock, "B-but how?"

"Something is defiantly not right here," Itachi concluded, worry etched into his face. "Go grab Sasori and Deidara."

"Shit," Kisame shook his head in disbelief before leaving to find the two men.

"Kakuzu, tell me exactly what happened at that drop." Itachi ordered.

Nodding his head the taller man retold his account.

"…and then he told me to tell my boss to leave him because Orochimaru's supplier died. The kid was scared shitless, that's a fact. He didn't want to be there."

"Hn," Itachi rubbed his chin in thought. "Naruto would never do any of this of his own volition. There must be a reason for it."

"Itachi," Kisame called out, following behind him were both Sasori and Deidara. The two young men were both dressed in black suits and sporting curious expressions on their faces.

"What's up, Itachi?" Deidara asked once they had closed the distance. Having been friends since high school the three men disregarded all the pleasantries that came along with doing business.

"I need you two to follow Naruto and find out as much as you can about his dealings with Orochimaru."

Blue eyes widened, "Naruto? What's going on?"

"Naruto is doing Orochimaru's drop offs," Itachi growled, his hands turning to fists by his side. "I need to know why."

"Naruto was never into drugs," Sasori spoke softly, "What brought this up all of a sudden?"

"He dropped off the shipment of Ketamine we picked up from Orochimaru." Kakuzu answered in Itachi's stead, "I was personally there. It was definitely him."

Itachi nodded, "Sasuke's also been telling me that Naruto has been acting strangely lately. I think he might be getting blackmailed or something of that nature…Naruto is strong willed. Not just _anything_ can make him do something he doesn't want. Orochimaru must be holding something over his head, I'm sure of it…and I need you two to find out what."

"I can ask my cousin to take a look at things," Sasori replied, "Gaara works at the University, he might find out what's going on."

"Is he friends with Naruto?" Deidara asked.

Sasori paused, taking on a thoughtful expression. "I'm not sure…haven't spoke to Gaara since the last family reunion. He did leave his old gang a while ago…though I'm sure he still keeps in touch with some of them. If we need to take care of something discreetly, I'm sure he'll be willing to help."

"Good," Itachi nodded. "As soon as this whole affair," he motioned to the hall, "Is over with, we get on this. I want this taken care of as soon as possible. Not to mention the fact we might need to silence a few souls in the process. Understand?"

"Yeah," a few voices replied in soft tones.

"Itachi," Kisame patted the Uchiha on the shoulder, "Sasuke's coming over."

Looking up, Itachi straightened up and watched his younger brother approach with a weary face.

"Hey," Sasuke greeted tiredly, "Naruto's suddenly not feeling well so we're going to head home early. I'll see you at the wedding." The raven haired Uchiha turned to go.

"Sasuke, wait."

Turning back around to face his brother, Sasuke waited patiently.

Itachi wondered if this was the right time to let his younger sibling know. After all Sasuke was _known_ to blow some things out of proportion. Then again, if he put himself in his brother's shoes…he would want to know too.

Sighing in resignation, Itachi let his eyes meet with Sasuke's. "I have a very high suspicion that Naruto is being blackmailed into dealing drugs."

Sasuke blinked and continued to stand there with a blank expression on his face.

"Sasuke."

The younger Uchiha shook his head, "Sorry, can you repeat that?"

"I think Naruto is involved with drugs."

Sasuke irately rubbed his eyes, feeling more tired than he already was. "H-how…w-where did you pull this crack theory from? Are you crazy? Naruto would never get involved in stuff like that!"

"I'm not saying he did it voluntarily, Sasuke." Itachi said sternly, trying to keep his voice down in efforts of turning away curious ears. "I have an undisputable source claiming they saw Naruto in a drug drop off. They recognized him here and brought it to my attention."

"Itachi—"

"Keep your voice down, Sasuke." Itachi warned, eyes flashing. "We don't want to attract any unwanted attention."

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "How—wh—"

"That's not important right now," Deidara butt in, "Sasori and I are going to get some more information and we'll let Itachi know as soon as we figure something out. I'm sure you'll be the first person he calls."

"Take Naruto home, keep quiet and don't meddle," Itachi grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder and began leading him towards the blonde. "Don't scare him either. Just act the way you were before I told you. Let me figure this out."

Smiling Itachi stepped in front of Sasuke and closed the distance between himself and the blonde.

"Naruto."

"Hey, Itachi." Naruto smiled weakly, "Can't wait till next week. The wedding is going to be awesome."

"Thank you, Naruto," Itachi nodded, "Hope you feel better by then. How's the head?"

"Oh this?" Naruto lifted his bangs to reveal the healing wound, "Practically gone."

Itachi stared at the pinkish flesh, "How did you say you got it again?"

"Ah," the blonde rubbed the back of his neck, eyes downcast, "I fell on some ice. You know me, I never look where I'm going."

"Hn."

"Let's go, Naruto." Sasuke said quietly, still trying to wrap his brain around what just happened as he pulled the car keys from his pocket.

"Well I'll see you later, Itachi." Naruto said before walking over to Sasuke.

The two brothers let their gazes meet behind Naruto's back. Sasuke gave a curt nod then turned around and led his boyfriend out of the hall.

Once the two left Itachi rubbed his forehead jadedly. "You know…after all these years I should be less surprised than I am right now."

Beside him Kisame gave him a questioning look.

Giving a small smile, Itachi shrugged his shoulders, "The world's most unpredictable knucklehead, that's Naruto in a nutshell."

:::

"Ladies and gentlemen," the priest lifted his hands, letting his bellowing sleeves spread wide, "We are gathered here today to join Itachi Uchiha and Ayako Oguri in humble matrimony…"

Sasuke inwardly winced as the elderly priest continued to drag out each and every word. One look at Itachi was all he needed to see that his sibling was of the same mind as him. The older Uchiha stood as stiff as a plank in front of the hundreds of guests sitting in the ornately decorated hall. As quietly as he could Sasuke cleared his throat and shifted his stance. His eyes swept past the glowing bride in her alabaster silk gown. Onyx eyes upon finding the head of gold hair relaxed to a certain degree. Naruto was sitting in one of the chairs right next to Deidara. The other blonde was leaning against the back of his seat, examining his nails and glancing at the ceremony every once in a while. Sasuke felt his eye twitch as he watched the display. Reminding himself that he was currently standing in front of hundreds of people, he pushed down the urge to punch the good for nothing Deidara in the face. Strangling his brother in front of a crowd was also pushed off the to-do list. His eyes returned back to the priest in an attempt to direct his bubbling anger at another irritating human being.

A whole week had gone by and Itachi had neither given him a call or a simple text to let him know how things were going. Sure he understood that the man was about to get married, but a simple four word text would have even sufficed. Seeing Naruto everyday reminded him of the fact that he was currently unable to do anything. Practically _ordered_ not to get involved by his brother, all he could do was watch the blonde leave at night and go do the unimaginable. It made his blood boil just thinking about it.

This week had only made his heap of questions grow from a mole hill to the size if Mt. Fuji. Things about his brother as well as his lover, for starters there was the way Itachi was so quickly able to guess Naruto was involved in some drug operation. _How could he know that?_

Unless he was somehow involved in the business as well, it would be very hard to deduce that information.

"…Now you may kiss the bride."

Blinking, Sasuke turned his attention back to his brother. Itachi stiffly reached over to his new bride, looking as nervous as he had every right to be. He was about to kiss his girl in front of her parents, not to mention the couple of hundreds of people with their eyes glued to the front.

Itachi was not one for public displays of affection.

However the bright eyed Ayako was there to save her weasel. Putting her palms to Itachi's cheeks, she stood on the tips of her toes and daintily pressed her lips to his. A loud cheer erupted from the seats as the couple parted.

Finally regaining his poise, Itachi took his wife's hand in his and began his march back down the aisle. Sasuke followed his brother the whole way to the dining hall, joining with Naruto at their assigned table.

"I have never seen Itachi look so stiff in my whole life," Naruto chuckled as he grabbed the warm bread roll on his porcelain plate. "So worth seeing."

"Hn."

"What was up with you?" Naruto said, lifting the silver knife and cutting his roll open. "You looked like you were somewhere else entirely."

"Hn."

"Ass." Naruto chimed without skipping a beat.

Spying the butter, Sasuke grabbed it before the blonde reached for it.

"Hey!" Naruto whined, "What gives?"

"Where did you go yesterday morning?"

The blonde's eyes fell to his plate, suddenly losing interest in both the butter and bread. "Not this again, Sasuke."

"It's really a simple question, Naruto."

Naruto rubbed his brow, looking weary. "Can't we just enjoy the wedding?"

"I think I've been very patient," Sasuke pressed, tone unrelenting. "I haven't prodded."

"And I'm thankful for that."

"But I can only be patient for so long." The Uchiha retorted, "Now where did you go?"

"Sasuke!" Deidara chimed brightly, taking a seat in front of the raven haired man. "Brother of the groom! How does it feel?"

"Great." Sasuke replied blandly.

Deidara leaned across the table, face full of mirth yet eyes telling another story all together. "Don't _keep quiet_, share the love! Let me pour you some wine."

Brows angling downwards Sasuke raised his glass as the long haired blonde poured the wine, meaning not lost on him.

"I think it's time for me to say a few things," he replied back cryptically. "After all this affair shouldn't be taken lightly."

"Of course not," Deidara echoed back before turning to Naruto. The younger blonde was sitting there with a half baked smile on his face, eyes dull. "Lift your glass, Naruto! Let me pour you some wine."

Shaking his head, Naruto declined. "I'm going to stick to water, thanks. I have classes tomorrow so I don't want to come in with a pounding headache."

The chair next to Deidara was drawn back as Sasori took a seat. "My congratulations," the redhead bowed his head in Sasuke's direction. Politely Sasuke returned the head nod and lifted his glass, taking a long swig of the sweet red wine.

For the next two hours the night was filled with fine cuisine and large bouts of dancing. Naruto slowly regained his jovial character and was soon on the dance floor with Deidara showing off his moves. Refusing to leave his seat Sasuke sat at the table, fork in hand. With one eye on his boyfriend he continued to devour the fish fillet on his plate, dipping forkfuls into the rich cranberry sauce every so often. He stopped mid chew as a skinny redhead approached his blonde, short black dress barely covering her posterior. Growling from deep within his throat Sasuke watched with hawk-like eyes as the girl began dancing alongside Naruto. The blonde seemed to hesitate at first but after about a minute he began to move closer.

Ivory cheeks puffed in annoyance as they watched the procession of events. Eyes darkened upon the witness of a tanned arm brushing against Naruto's shoulder. Sasuke went from chewing his food to all but grinding it between his teeth. He reached for his glass of wine and took a quick swig.

"Whoa there, Sasuke."

Looking up the raven haired Uchiha noticed his cousin Shisui hovering over him, one eyebrow raised and looking as curious as a cat with eyes full of prey, "Hn."

Taking a seat in front of his younger cousin, Shisui crossed his arms and continued to stare.

"What do you want?" Sasuke grumbled.

"I would presume even _you_ would be a little more excited at your brother's wedding."

Sasuke put his fork down, "I am excited."

"Very excited?"

"Indubitably so."

Shisui snorted, "God I hope you're not this sour at your own wedding."

Casting his gaze back to his plate Sasuke grunted.

"Well I'm going to go give your brother my congratulations," Shisui sighed, standing to his feet. "Lighten up a bit, Sasuke."

"Hn." Watching the other Uchiha go he leaned back in his chair, letting his eyes slowly return to the dancing form of his lover. _My own wedding, huh._

Naruto turned his head, catching sight of Sasuke. The Uchiha was still sitting in his chair just as immobile as a pile of bricks. Deciding it was high time the other man let loose for a bit the blonde excused himself from his dance partner and made his way towards his pessimistic boyfriend.

Snapping his fingers in front of Sasuke's face, Naruto caught the Uchiha's attention. It seemed that Sasuke's mind had yet again left the four corners of the lavish dining hall.

"Hey," Naruto took the fisted hand by Sasuke's side, "Let's dance a bit."

"Hn."

"C'mon, Sasuke." Naruto tugged, "You look so depressing sitting here by yourself. Have some fun."

Pulling his hand from the blonde's grasp, Sasuke looked in to his lover's crystalline blue eyes, _trust me, I would be having more fun if you just fucking told me the damn truth._

Naruto blinked, suddenly feeling a nervous trickle down his back. "Sasuke?"

"What?" the other sighed, quickly growing tired of this silent battle.

Coming to stand closer the blonde put his open palm on Sasuke's shoulder, "You feeling okay?"

Letting out a deep breath the Uchiha pulled Naruto's body flush against his and planted a chaste kiss on the other's lips. Only slightly confused the blonde parted his lips and let Sasuke gain more entrance to his mouth. Tired and more than angry Sasuke ravaged Naruto's giving lips, nipping and sucking.

"H-hey there," Naruto panted as he tried to gain some breath, "P-public place, r-remember?"

"Let's go to the bathroom."

"Seriously?" Naruto moaned as Sasuke's knee grinded against him, "You want to have sex during your brother's wedding?"

Sasuke paused, a smirk forming on his heated face. "Why not?"

The visage before Naruto's eyes made him falter on the road to giving an abrupt negative answer. By some truly miraculous change of course he found himself muttering a hurried, "Okay."

As the two of them rushed out of the dining hall, a pair of coal black eyes watched them depart. "Seriously?"

Ayako looked at her husband curiously, "What is it, Itachi?"

"N-nothing," the married man grumbled softly, _just that my younger brother is a whore._

:::

"It was a very nice ceremony," Naruto grinned as he bit into a rice ball.

Kiba sat with his arms crossed at the table in the staff lounge, "Well I'm glad your ass enjoyed it."

Naruto suddenly turned bright red.

Gaara and Shikamaru exchanged looks while Kiba narrowed his eyes at the blonde before turning his full on glare at the silent Sasuke sitting and munching slowly on his lunch.

"You, Sasuke," Kiba pointed a finger, "Are one horny bastard."

"It's not l-like that!" Naruto waived his hands, face still the color of a ripe tomato.

Alas the damage was done.

"Oh?" Shikamaru said plain faced, "Then what is it like?"

"Uh…I...um…"

"Enough, Naruto." Neji groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Stop digging the grave any deeper."

Sasuke smirked while bringing the wooden chopsticks to his lips.

"Ugh," Naruto groaned, "You guys suck, you know that?"

The door to the staff lounge swung open and in came Sai, the signature paintbrush tucked behind his ear.

"Hello ,dickless," looking at Kiba he scrunched his nose, "Assface."

"Fuck off, Sai!" Kiba stood from his chair, toppling it over. "I'll show you who has an ass face once my fist collides with that fucked up face of yours!"

Neji sighed, "You know I really hoped we wouldn't go back to this."

"Where's Ugly?" Sai asked after realizing there was no one there to restrain Kiba with grips of steel.

Shikamaru sleepily shrugged his shoulders, "The females have all grouped together and have gone to plan Ino's wedding. If you need Choji, he'll be chauffeuring them around."

The men all let a moment of silence pass for Choji's current fate.

While Sai went to grab some coffee, Naruto resumed his chomping down on the rice ball in his hands. As he was about to take another big bite his cell phone vibrated loudly against the table surface. All ears perked at the noise.

Picking up his phone Naruto flipped it open. The furrow in his brow was Sasuke's only indication to what was about to go down.

"Well I'm full," Naruto smiled, putting his rice ball onto a napkin and getting to his feet. "Need to get back to grading research papers, haha."

"I thought you finished that yesterday?" Gaara asked curiously.

"W-what?" Naruto hurriedly walked to the trash and disposed his unfinished meal. "Nah, I still got a few left."

"Oh."

"I'll see you guys later."

Sasuke watched Naruto walk out the door, his gut telling him to follow the blonde out. Itachi was all but useless. It had been over a week and still nothing from the damn weasel.

If he didn't do anything than no one was going to.

Throwing caution to the wind he got up from his seat, leaving his lunch at the table he rushed out the door.

Naruto had already gotten all the way down the hall.

Quickening his pace, Sasuke followed him as discreetly as possible. The blonde left the staff building and walked towards the structure housing all the labs and offices of the science staff. With a frown plastered to his face Sasuke entered the building right behind Naruto.

Turning away from the elevators the blonde instead pushed the door to the stairwell open and went inside. Curiosity piqued further, Sasuke quickly caught the door before it shut and slipped inside. Then walking on the tips of his toes he climbed the stairs behind his boyfriend, making sure there was an adequate distance between them. On and on they climbed, all the way to the top floors. The Uchiha was starting to feel his calves burn from the strain by the time Naruto reached for a door and opened it. Giving an inward sigh of relief Sasuke hurried to catch the door before it closed. Slipping past he entered a familiar hallway causing his brows to furrow even deeper. Making sure to stay out of sight, he watched closely as Naruto knocked on a door.

He didn't wait long.

The door clicked open and the blonde stepped in without wasting a second.

Sasuke waited until the door closed before quietly walking over to it. His eyes narrowed upon landing on the brass nameplate hanging on the front.

Dr. Orochimaru Sainin

Chemistry Head of Department

* * *

**Like I said, lots of stuff happened in this chapter.**

**Now what?**

**What is Sasuke going to do?**

**Reviews and Favs are greatly appreciated!**

**-Smartcat**


	26. Paying The Piper

**First off I'd like to apologize for making you guys wait so long for this chapter. Seriously, I didn't mean to take such a large break but this semester has been really tough and writing on the side just wasn't fitting into all the studying I had to be doing T_T**

**But I'm back now, even though I still have rotations in the summer. This story is almost over!**

* * *

Chapter 26: Paying the Piper

Sasuke stared out at the carpeted floor as he remained seated on the couch, the soft glow of the dim lights overhead casting numerous shadows around the vast expanse of the room. He breathed through his nose rhythmically, dark midnight eyes tracing the pattern his shadow had cast while he waited for Naruto to arrive at his door.

After witnessing for himself where the blonde disappeared to, he had been all but consumed by rage. In fact, it had completely overtaken his mind to the point of near madness. He had been ready to plow through that hard oak door and drag Naruto out by the scruff of his neck…of course _after_ pummeling Orochimaru within an inch of his life. However, his wild plan was abruptly put on hold when he caught sight of Hinata walking down the hall, waiving her arm at him. Behind her were Sakura and Ino, bags in hand and big smiles upon their faces. It was apparent that the girls were back from their shopping trip down in the city.

The group had joined him almost immediately, pulling him away from Orochimaru's door and away from Naruto. However, their interference had given the Uchiha just enough time to cool down enough so that reason could pierce through his revenge hazed brain. Instead of marching back to the Chemistry floor and throttling the long haired Organic chemistry professor, he had decided to instead go home, think things out and confront Naruto about it when he returned.

So here he was, sitting in the dim light for roughly two hours, waiting.

Waiting for some answers that, one way or another, he was going to drag out of the dunce of a blonde.

Finally a little after nine o'clock his ears picked up on the sound of jingling keys outside the apartment door. Brows furrowed, he folded his hands together and leaned his chin against them, eyes focused on the wall straight ahead as Naruto walked inside.

"Oh, Sasuke!" Naruto greeted cheerfully, shutting the door closed before going to hang his jacket in the closet.

The Uchiha gave no indication that he'd heard the blonde. Instead he continued to glare at the wall, emitting an almost impenetrable cloud around himself filled with frustration and deadly rage. All previous promises of keeping calm chucked out the window at the first sight of his lover.

Naruto completely oblivious to it all, happily padded into the living room after kicking off his shoes. He collapsed on the couch beside his lover, spreading his arms wide and letting his head roll back.

He wiggled his toes, "Man, I'm beat."

"Hn."

Naruto grunted and scratched an itch on his chest. "Yeah, yeah. You could care less, I know."

"How was your visit with Orochimaru today?" Sasuke said in a dark tone, eyes unmoving from their resting place on the far wall.

Naruto instantly tensed, the muscles in his arms and legs going rigid. "Uh…haha…nothing special."

"What did he need you for?" Sasuke continued in the same manner, teeth grinding against each other after the end of the question.

Naruto swallowed, hurriedly trying to think of a plausible excuse. "Um…j-just needed my help with something, that's all."

"Really?" Sasuke said, finally turning his head to stare accusingly at his boyfriend. "What on earth could he possibly need _your_ help with?"

"Hey," Naruto growled, brows furrowing at the sudden unexpected allegations being thrust upon him. "What the hell, Sasuke?"

"Hn," Sasuke growled back, hands bunching by his sides as he continued to stare into the sapphire irises of his lover. "I should be the one asking _you_ that, dobe."

Naruto balked, fists digging into the couch as he tried to keep calm. "W-what?"

"I mean, since _you_ and Orochimaru are the best of buds now." Sasuke barreled on, "Every time he sends you a message you're up and out, regardless of the fucking time. Must be _some_ steadfast friendship you two have. After all, you're even selling drugs for him. Was that gash on your stupid forehead from him or a deal gone bad, Naruto? How about you answer _me_ that!"

Frozen in place, Naruto just stared wide eyed as Sasuke carried on. His heart pounded in his chest as if ready to escape and make a run for the door. How could Sasuke know that? He deleted every text the bastard sent him. He had been extremely careful going there and coming back!

What…what if Orochimaru knew? What…what if this was it? The end?

Suddenly a pain like he'd never experienced swiftly bloomed in his chest. Gasping audibly, Naruto grabbed at his chest, lips parting as he tried to take in a breath.

Sasuke stopped short in his storming rant, watching as Naruto clutched at his chest. The words died on his lips as the blonde fell over into his lap, gasping for air.

"Naruto?" The Uchiha probed, voice going soft out of alarm. "Hey…what's wrong?"

"—Brea—bre—can't—brea—the."

Frightened, Sasuke immediately grasped Naruto's shoulder pulling him up into a sitting position.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called, shaking him by the shoulders as he worriedly analyzed the blonde's face. All prior accusations disappearing into the night as worry wrapped itself around him like a shroud. With one hand resting on the younger man's chest, he could feel the erratic beat of his heart.

In response his own heart picked up its pace as adrenaline introduced itself into his body.

Shaking his head to break free from distracting thoughts, the raven haired man tried to focus on what he needed to do.

First thing was first, he needed to control Naruto's breathing. The blonde was either having a heart attack or a panic attack. Sasuke heavily gambled on the latter. Now the Uchiha was no expert in medicine but he had a basic gist on what currently needed to happen.

"Naruto! Calm down!" Sasuke called fiercely, grabbing the blonde's chin and pointing it upwards so that their eyes locked. "Try to breathe slowly! Watch me, Naruto! In…Out…In…Out! Slow even breathes, Naruto! Slow even breathes!"

Clutching a fistful of Sasuke's shirt with one hand, Naruto attempted to copy his lover's actions. He slowly in took a breath, expelling it alongside the raven haired man, and then once again breathed in and out, in and out.

Five minutes later the tightness in his chest had receded and his breathing pattern returned to normal. Silence reigned in the small apartment complex while Naruto regained his coloring. Beside him the Uchiha protectively kept both eyes glued to the younger man. Worry still stirring inside him like a storm in the tropics.

"I'm good now, Sasuke." The blonde cast the other a small smile. "You can stop staring at me like that. I'm not going to keel over any time soon."

The Uchiha looked away, his alabaster skin remaining as white as before the scare. Instead he turned to focus his glare back on the carpet, tracing the outline of his shadow on the floor once again. He said not one word. Only debating with his inner self if his calculated anger had shocked Naruto to the point where he'd pushed him to the precipice of anxiety causing him to stumble and physically suffer from the psychological blow. Inwardly he cursed at himself.

"You were right though…" Naruto finally said in a voice barely above a whisper. "About him…me."

"Hn."

"Oh cut the crap!" Naruto grumbled, pressing his palms into his eye sockets. "It's not like I had a choice here!"

"You always have a choice." Sasuke said evenly, still staring at his shadow and completely missing the exasperated eye roll.

"Yes, I had a choice if I wanted to be blackmailed or not," Naruto grumbled. "Because that's how it _always_ works."

Sasuke answered back darkly. "Well then why don't you enlighten me?"

A growing unease settled in the blonde's stomach as he turned his gaze onto the stony Uchiha. How the man figured out so much about the situation without him revealing a single fact was downright disturbing. If indeed Sasuke knew more than he was letting on, then he might as well reveal the rest of it. After all, it was completely over now. There was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

With a heavy sigh, he nervously rubbed the back of his neck before parting his lips to reveal all. "It started at the beginning of last semester. Particularly on the day you decided to pay my office a visit." His voice suddenly dropped in pitch as the sequence of events that followed that fateful day played in his mind like a horror movie. "…I…well, um…I went to Orochimaru's office in regards to Konohamaru and there…there he played for me a video of us…in my office…doing things we weren't supposed to be doing."

Another burst of adrenaline shot up Sasuke's spine at the revelation. He sat up straight, going stiff as a board and turned to look at Naruto as his bottom lip obeyed the laws of gravity and dropped down.

"My options were almost inexistent," the blonde continued, hands now in his lap. "Ruin our reputations so we can never work in a University again _or_ agree to do some drop offs. He threatened me with your life, Konohamaru's life…my friends…and I believed him because frankly, he told me how he managed to murder a man with two heavy guards at the door and no one was the wiser…he kept close tabs on me, following me, sending me texts about what I ate for lunch, breakfast…I was fucking scared, Sasuke. So damn scared and there was nothing I could do but pretend I wasn't!"

The desperation and fear in those ocean eyes had Sasuke's fists balling up at his sides. Rage bubbled in him like lava inside a volcano. As Naruto continued to reveal the details of the past couple of months, the anger inside the Uchiha only increased tenth fold until he was audibly grating his teeth. Having heard enough, he reached over and grabbed Naruto by the arm, holding it tight.

"That fucker is going to get it, Naruto." Sasuke seethed as he reached to pull his phone free from his pant pocket. "I swear to god himself that I will kill him! Show no mercy. Bleed him dry and cast indescribable pain upon his pathetic existence."

A few seconds later he was on the phone with Itachi, relaying everything in perfect detail to his older brother. His rage evident in the tone of his voice as he spat out the horrible things he himself had just been privy to.

He was going to end Orochimaru.

Finish him by any means necessary…or he wasn't an Uchiha.

:::

Itachi dropped the phone in its cradle and cursed colorfully causing Kisame to drop whatever he was doing and hurry over to his boss and friend.

"Who was that?"

"Sasuke," Itachi's deadly tone rang forth, eyes seeing red as he turned his head towards Kisame. "Get my car ready. We're going to see Hidan and Kakuzu."

Palms burrowing into the wooden surface of his desk, Itachi stood to his feet and slid his chair back, letting it bang against the wall loudly. His anger increasing with every second the bastard remained breathing.

In a matter of minutes Kisame was sliding into the driver's seat and starting the car while Itachi got settled in the back, phone already pressed to his ear. He listened to it ring, waiting with barely managed patience for either man to pick up. Finally on the fifth ring a familiar deep voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Kakuzu," Itachi gripped the phone tighter. "I'll be at your place in ten minutes. Is Hidan with you?"

"No, he just stepped out."

"Well call him back!" Itachi growled, brows angled so fiercely it caused his nose to wrinkle. "Because if that slimy eel of a man so much as lives to see another twenty four hours, heads will roll."

"Got it."

:::

Orochimaru sat in his office with a pen clasped in his teeth, eyes roving over a lab report one of his graduate students had typed up when a frenzied knocking assailed his door. The pale man scowled, spitting the pen out onto his desk before fluidly stepping around it and marching forwards to open the door.

He was particularly surprised to find Kabuto's rimmed glasses staring back at him. The man wasn't due for a visit for another few hours.

"What is it?" He abruptly questioned.

The younger man shook his head, urging his mentor to peddle back inside into the safety of his office. Perturbed, Orochimaru stepped back far enough for Kabuto to enter and close the door behind him.

"Professor," Kabuto tried to keep his voice level as he spoke out. "I think we have a really, _really_ big problem."

Orochimaru stiffened, his attention now completely on the younger man in front of him. "What happened?"

Fists trembling in the pockets of his white lab coat, Kabuto gulped before relaying everything he had seen. "I was going to the staff lounge to grab a bite to eat and I saw Naruto walking out. I didn't think much of it at first so I paused to answer a text from a friend of mine. I was just about to walk in when I saw Sasuke Uchiha step through the door and take off in the direction Naruto had gone. Now what struck me as odd was the fact that the Uchiha wasn't trying to catch up to Naruto. In fact he walked slowly behind him, as if following him. So I grew suspicious. I followed him myself and watched them both come to the front of your office door. Naruto went in first, and then Sasuke walked over to the door and just stopped. I swear to you he was murderous. That look in his eye as he glared at your office door…I myself felt a flash of fear run down my spine." Rubbing his chest, Kabuto shook his head to relieve himself of that paranoid fear gripping at his heart. "I…don't think it's safe for you here. That Uchiha is anything but stupid. It won't take him long to put two and two together. He's going to tell his brother and then you and I are done for."

Orochimaru stared wide eyed at his messenger, mouth agape as his heart pounded in his chest as if attached to a motor. He breathed heavily through his nose, leaning against the front of his desk as his mind raced to form a plan that could rid him of his current problem.

A thought came to mind causing his head to snap back up.

"Kabuto, get me Sasuke's license plate!"

"What?" Kabuto answered, suspicion rising. "Why?"

"There is only one way out of this for us." Orochimaru began to ramble as he paced around his office, arms waiving about wildly. "Sasuke doesn't know anything about this yet…he will take at least a day to think it over before calling his brother…he is a rational thinker…he won't jump the gun. So that gives me enough time to hire someone to get rid of him….it's two birds with one stone really, if you think about it…Sasuke will be driving home from work, possibly taking Naruto with him…and all of a sudden they get into a really bad accident on a side road. They get transferred to the hospital, we can sneak into there and poof! Problem solved! No fucking Uchiha brat! Although I do lose my drop off guy again…shit, I'm going to have to find a new one…maybe move to a different town altogether…"

Kabuto just stared aghast as the man continued to ramble on, a crazed look in his eye as he pulled his cell phone out and began scrolling through his list of contacts.

"Well don't just stand there like an idiot! Get me his fucking license plate!" Orochimaru snarled upon finding that Kabuto had to yet move from his spot. "Do I have to remind you that if Sasuke finds out everything, you are just as much his enemy as me? Fucking get a move on!"

Kabuto winced, a cold dread washing over him as he turned to flee the office.

What the fuck had he gotten himself into?

:::

"Hurry up, Hidan." Kakuzu growled as he watched the silver haired man work his magic on Orochimaru's back door.

In answer to the urging of his partner in crime, Hidan turned his head to look up at the man and snarled. "Fucking shut your cunt face, asshole! I'm doing it as fast as I can! Jesus Christ, bastard! Let me do my god damned job!"

Kakuzu just rolled his eyes, used to this sort of treatment from his partner of two years. Grumbling about finding a replacement someday soon he watched with boredom as Hidan finally unlocked the door. An eerie grin crept onto the shorter man's face, disappearing into the darkness as he pulled out a knife and stepped inside.

Ten minutes later, they were sitting on the living room couch, brows furrowed in consternation. Kakuzu rubbed his forehead, eyes drawn closed.

"Well what the fuck are you waiting for?" Hidan snapped nervously. "An _invitation_? Fucking _call _him!"

Grunting, Kakuzu drew out his phone and stared at it. Wondering to himself what kind of hell was about to be let loose once he told Itachi that Orochimaru was gone. Sighing, he dialed the number for the Uchiha and waited patiently.

Two rings.

"Well?" Itachi's voice vibrated into his ear.

Kakuzu let out a nervous cough, clearing his throat. "Um…he's not here."

"Who do you mean by '_he's not here_,' Kakuzu?"

Catching Hidan's gaze, the green eyed man swiped a palm over his forehead once more. "…He's not here, Itachi. Some of his stuff is gone. It looks like he high tailed it out of here…he must have known we were coming."

"FUCK!"

Kakuzu pulled the phone away from his ear, eyes squinting shut. Never in his life had he heard the Uchiha yell like that. The sound of it made his bones tremble.

"YAH! KAKUZU!" Itachi called into the phone, causing the green eyed man to put the phone back to its place by his ear. "You find that bastard, you hear me? I don't care who you ask for help, just fucking find him and kill him, understand? Hell, tell Hidan he can have fun with this one! Just find him!"

"Um," Kakuzu scratched his wrapped head. "It's four in the morning, Itachi. Can't we pick this up a little later. I'm beat and…even Hidan who definitely heard that he can 'have his way with his one,' looks exhausted."

A silence reigned for a minute before a dejected 'fine,' echoed into his ear. "But that man dies, Kakuzu. People like him don't deserve to prolong their existence…not after what he's done."

"You can count on us for that, Itachi." Kakuzu nodded, eyes still locked with Hidan, the story of the young Naruto still fresh in his mind. "You can count on that."

:::

"Ugh, damn it!" Sakura banged her palm against her steering wheel in exasperation early the next morning. Of all days to have car trouble, this had to be one of them! At the end of April when all she had to do was drop off her damn final exams. Groaning at her miserable luck she checked the time.

"Crap," she sighed, pulling her purse into her lap and rummaging for her phone. "He's going to be pissed."

Entering into her favorite contacts, Sakura looked from Sasuke's name to Naruto. Who to call?

A no brainer really.

She hurriedly pressed Naruto's name and put the phone to her ear, waiting for the blonde to pick up.

It didn't take him long.

"Hey, Sakura!" He answered in a rush. "What's up?"

"My car won't start," she began immediately, not beating around the bush. "Can you guys give me a lift to school?"

"Sure we can!"

"No we can't!" Sakura heard Sasuke's voice exclaim in the background. "She's out of the way! And you promised we were going to be quick about this. Drop off the exams, drive back home and have sex. You promised."

"You know I can hear you, Sasuke." Sakura droned, rolling her eyes.

"So?" She heard him say in the background. "I'm not hiding anything."

"Bastard, we're picking her up." Naruto growled, and then voice turning sweet he turned his attention back to Sakura. "Be ready in ten, we'll be there."

"Great!"

Just as Naruto said, ten minutes later Sakura was sliding into the backseat of the car, grin wide and cheery as she looked upon the blonde's smiling face. Sasuke however, was brooding behind the driver's seat, ebony eyes glaring out the window.

"I have a few things to do after I drop off my exams," Sakura said as Sasuke started the car and drove back onto the road. "It will take maybe an hour, hour and a half tops. Can you wait for me?"

"Yes."

"No."

Naruto frowned at his lover, "Wow, Sasuke. What a great friend you are."

"Please, Sasuke." Sakura pleaded, thrusting out her bottom lip and trying to appear as innocent as possible.

Looking up into his rearview mirror, Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Please, Sasuke." Sakura tried again.

"You can have the car," Sasuke growled. "We're not waiting. Just get it back to me sometime before eight, alright? Naruto and I will take the bus." Looking across to Naruto, he found the blonde's mouth hanging wide open in amazement. Turning back to stare at the road, Sasuke shrugged. "We're going home just like we planned." He said evenly. "And then I plan to fuck the _stupid _out of you."

Naruto just let his head fall into his lap.

If he ever thought Sasuke would be sweet and cuddly after finding out the lengths Naruto went to protect his honor, then he really _did_ need the stupid fucked out of him.

Damn Uchihas.

"Sounds good to me," Sakura grinned. Then letting her eyes take on a mischievous glimmer she leaned in between the two front seats and whispered. "Make sure to fuck him extra hard. We can't afford any more stupid."

HEY!" Naruto barked, red faced. "Why the hell do you two always gang up on me?"

"Because," they answered in unison, two pairs of eyes drifting towards him. "Your stupidity is annoying."

Naruto's eye twitched.

:::

Roughly an hour later Sasuke was eagerly pushing Naruto through the front door of their apartment, lips pressed firmly together.

"Sas—"

"—Shh," hushed Sasuke, shutting the door behind him with his foot. He briefly let go of Naruto's torso to lock the door. When the 'click,' of the lock sounded, he resumed his finger foreplay all the while pushing the younger man towards the bedroom.

They were behind the door in a matter of seconds.

In his vivacious efforts to unclothe the blonde, Sasuke let loose a bunch of buttons after he tugged harshly on Naruto's shirt. Like a bag of beads, the buttons scattered on the floor nestling behind every crevice they could roll themselves into. Naruto groaned, dick hard as Sasuke roved over his neck like a hungry lion, licking and sucking at every chance he got.

Naruto was no meek kitten either. Boldly his hands trailed downwards and pulled at the older man's zipper. He lowered the denim jeans and then let the briefs follow suite, springing free Sasuke's quite enthusiastic cock. It was hot to the touch, and every time Naruto rubbed its length a guttural moan split through the room making his breath quicken.

The blonde let himself be tumbled to the bed, blue eyes staring up lustfully as Sasuke removed his bothersome shirt and cast it to the floor to join the mutinying buttons. Above him he watched his lover breathe heavily, taking in the contours of his chest and taunting hips. He was beautiful in every sense of the word, and there was nothing he would like more for that sinful being to fuck him into the next world.

"Tell me, dobe," Sasuke smirked while looking down upon the delectable morsel of a man beneath him. "Will you ever keep things from me again?"

Naruto shook his head furiously, promising never to do such a thing again.

"Let me hear it."

"Promise," Naruto said hastily, eyes circling downwards to stare at Sasuke's cock. "Now fuck me."

"What will happen if I ever find out you did something so stupid again?" Sasuke continued, thrusting his hips forward and letting his cock bounce a little closer to his lover.

"Bad things," Naruto supplied, eyes glued to the engorged head. The feeling of it tunneling through him made heat blossom in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed, remembering the texture of it gliding across his tongue.

"What kind of bad things?" Sasuke growled all the while coming closer, his cock barely two inches from Naruto's more than ready mouth.

"Very bad things," Naruto gulped, mouth watering as he leaned forwards.

Sasuke nodded, ebony locks falling into his eyes as he thrust his dick into Naruto's waiting mouth. "Correct. Very bad things."

:::

Sakura growled lowly to herself as she sat behind the computer screen typing up a recommendation letter for one of her students. Honestly what the hell, right? Who asks a professor to write a recommendation letter this far into the semester? And more importantly for that matter, give her _only_ a _few _days to do it!

Just her luck.

Peeved, Sakura angrily typed words of praise and kindness, letting only the kicking of her child inside her comfort the demon within.

:::

"Nngh!" Naruto tugged on the midnight locks that adorned Sasuke's head like a crown as the man sucked on his cock, lips hot as embers.

It was enough teasing, the blonde couldn't take much more of it.

Sitting up he grabbed for his lover, hoisting him onto himself and attacking his mouth.

"You—think it's—enough now?" Naruto breathed through messy kisses as the raven's hands tangled in his golden locks. "Teasing—yeah?"

"Mhmm," Sasuke responded in agreement and then began to push Naruto's legs apart with his own causing the blonde to smile.

"Thank god," Naruto pulled his lips away, face flushed as he tumbled back onto the bed. "Finally!"

Grabbing Sasuke's dick, he aligned it with his more than ready hole and pushed it in, letting it enter him in one fell swoop.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted as his lips formed into a crooked smile.

He should do this more often.

:::

Finally done for the day Sakura charged down the steps in her flats, keys in hand and eyes set on Sasuke's car. This beauty was hers for the better part of the day. And with a car this wonderful there was only one thing to do.

Shopping.

Opening the driver door she settled herself in and adjusted the mirrors. Then digging through her purse she pulled out her makeup bag and applied another coat of pink lipstick to her mouth, puckering in the mirror as she did so.

"Well baby," She looked down at her stomach, giving it a gentle rub. "Mama is about to go shopping."

Putting the car into drive Sakura pulled out of the parking space and weaved the car out of the lot and towards the road, a list of things to do in her mind.

:::

Sasuke breathed heavily atop the blonde, muscles too tired from their earlier use to pull himself free. Like a log he rested on his lover, their skin sticking together from the rivers of sweat running down their limbs.

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed out raggedly. "Get off…you're fucking heavy."

"Hn."

"Seriously, bastard." Naruto whined, pushing the man off, "I can't breathe!"

Like a sack of potatoes, Sasuke dropped to his lover's side. However, nothing could sour his most wonderful mood.

He was satiated.

Orochimaru was as good as dead, that fucker.

And Naruto was naked right beside him.

Nothing could make this day get any better.

"Sasuke," Naruto's voice rung out once more. "You hungry?"

"Hn."

"I'm hungry," the blonde tapped him on the shoulder, sitting up. "Let's make some ramen."

"Hn." Sasuke put his arms over his head, refusing to move.

Leave it to Naruto.

:::

Sakura worriedly pushed on the breaks, staring at her speedometer as the arrow kept moving up. Adrenaline coursed through her veins causing her heart to pump with the strength of a gladiator. She swerved the car, cursing and slamming on the breaks. Fearfully her eyes fell across the changing light.

Yellow.

The car just wouldn't stop.

Red.

Eyes prickling with tears she protectively put a hand on her stomach, watching as the cars beside her lane stopped.

_I'm not going to die_, she chanted to herself as her car charged into the sea of vehicles. _I will not let myself die! This is not how my life is going to end!_

Turning the wheel of the car she swerved out of the way of one car, a chorus of horns and yells ringing in her ears. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw it.

There was no time to dodge it.

She wouldn't be able to swerve the car out.

Shutting her eyes as tightly as she could, she braced herself for the collision all the while offering up a silent prayer to god.

_Please, please don't do this to me again…_

_God please, I beg you…_

The car hit her from behind, crashing into the rear skirt of her car and sending the lot of them skidding.

Glass shattered all around.

:::

Slurping up the noodles as noisily as he could, Naruto wiggled his eyebrows as Sasuke glared at him from across the table.

"You know you still want me," Naruto grinned, tipping the bowl and drinking up the remaining broth, chopsticks thrown to the side.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, tipping his bowl back as well and letting the broth run down his throat.

From inside the bedroom, Naruto's phone began to ring.

"Dobe," Sasuke motioned with his head towards the bedroom after Naruto continued to ignore the sound. "Your phone."

"Let it ring," Naruto waived it off. "If it's important they'll call again."

They listened to it ring and when it turned off Naruto happily put his bowl down. "See?"

Then it began to ring again.

Sasuke frowned, "I think you should get that."

The blonde sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he sullenly marched into the bedroom. "I swear if Kiba is calling me about something stupid, I will personally go over there and beat the living shit out of him. I am a human being, not his personal caddie! Let a man be!"

Digging the phone from the pocket of his pants that had been thrown to the floor, Naruto looked at the number, face falling when he didn't recognize it.

"Hello?" He answered just as Sasuke walked in.

"Hello?" A frenzied voice replied from the other line, "Is this Mr. Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yes," Naruto said evenly. "Who is this?"

"This is Konoho General Hospital. Sakura Haruno has just been in a motor vehicle accident. You are listed as one of her emergency contacts. We tried to get a hold of her parents but neither of them is answering."

"Accident?" Naruto repeated, eyes wide. "Is she o-okay?"

"We have the medical team with her right now."

"I'm coming!" Naruto said into the phone, turning his already watering eyes to Sasuke who was standing there like a statue. "Sasuke!"

The Uchiha jumped to his feet, grabbing his jeans from the floor and pulling them quickly over his legs.

_This couldn't be happening_, he thought. _It just couldn't be…_

Why…

Why Sakura?

Why?

* * *

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